Who sits around a boardroom table has serious consequences for an organisation’s well-being. Photo: File.
Every now and again, organisations make a mess so epic that everyone involved becomes the story.
So it’s been with the cancellation of Adelaide Writers Week, one of the most loved and respected arts events in Australia – and a massive earner for South Australian tourism, too.
I don’t want to analyse their decision. There are many differing views on Palestinian Australian author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah and her work, although it’s fair to note she’s a well-established writer with strong views.
Therefore, she’s a known quantity. She’s been part of the Australian cultural world for many years, and her opinions weren’t a surprise to anyone.
So either invite her for the sake of free speech and robust discussion, or don’t invite her because she’s not a good fit for the program this year. Make up your mind and stand by your decision.
But as a friend often says, the root of all evil is bad governance. The decision to rescind Dr Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to appear at Writers’ Week, just weeks out from the event, was made by the Festival board in a manner that’s murky at best.
Last week, the Adelaide Festival Corporation apologised unreservedly to Dr Abdel-Fattah in a statement after significant threats of legal action.
Who makes decisions and how is a key organisational responsibility. But unfortunately, many of us don’t have the slightest clue what governance means, even if we’re sitting on boards ourselves.
A board represents the community and has serious responsibilities. Its role is to set direction and vision for the organisation and to empower leadership to carry them out. Strategic, not operational, is the key distinction.
Board members should turn up for meetings at least – and for events. They should read the board papers, understand the organisation’s financial position and ensure it has the resources to do its job.
They should lend their networks and skills to the cause. Finally, the board should regularly rotate its membership, actively seeking people with the right skills for no more than two or three consecutive terms.
A board is more than a group of supportive friends or a handy source of volunteers. It’s not an advisory committee. It’s not something that’s nice to have on your resume. If you sit on a board, you are jointly responsible for the decisions it makes.
So yes, the calls for people from the arts world on boards like the one in Adelaide are right. But those people should also be good at decision-making, weighing risks, and setting values and visions.
One of the most egregious outcomes of the Adelaide mess is the revelation that the board knew there were problems last year when philanthropist and businessman Tony Berg resigned after objecting to Writers’ Week programming.
But the board didn’t tackle this quandary six months ago. They didn’t make a call on their values and weigh the risks one way or another, but left the matter stewing.
Suggesting Dr Abdel-Fattah’s removal was associated with the Bondi killings is opportunistic at best. Why hastily jam your problem together with the horrific murder of 15 Jewish Australians and infer some connection between unrelated events?
Why wait until the Premier exerted pressure, then make a panicked call weeks out from the event? If a keystone of the Adelaide Festival has collapsed, the board has plenty to answer for.
In the community and arts sectors, I have seen, time and time again, boards composed of nice people who really care about the cause but lack governance skills. And other boards, where there are plenty of skills, but nobody seems to know or understand much about the cause.
That’s a shame, because in cash-strapped sectors like the community and arts worlds, an effective chair and good board members are a godsend for delivering on mission.
The basics for not-for-profit boards are straightforward: strategic thinking, financial literacy, strong governance knowledge and stakeholder engagement. The board needs sector knowledge, fundraising and resource management, and community understanding, balanced with strategic leadership and ethical stewardship.
There are plenty of resources available through the Australian Institute of Company Directors, which offers an excellent short course for directors on not-for-profit boards and provides scholarships. At Hands Across Canberra, we run an introductory workshop on governance with the AICD each year for our charities.
Some are questioning the value of the board model, but I’d suggest that it’s often not implemented to start with.
Genevieve Jacobs is the CEO of Hands Across Canberra and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
