Why good governance is the key to getting things done

Are you setting your team up for success, or are you too closely managing each step of the way? Many leaders struggle with this question, but with good governance in place, you can empower your team to take on more responsibility and get things done quickly and effectively. In this blog post, we’ll look at why a proper workflow is essential in order to maximise efficiency and capitalise on opportunities presented by teams. We’ll also address how micro-managing won’t have the desired results—your team will be hindered instead of empowered. So read on to learn about the key to getting things done!

Understand why good governance is important for success

Good governance is like the backbone of a successful organisation or community, no matter how simple or complex the activities involved or how big or small the team is, good governance allows each individual to add value and remain focussed in the space where it’s most appropriate to do so. It ensures that decisions are made wisely, by the right people, at the right level and prevents bottlenecks. It promotes transparency, accountability, and fairness in all aspects of operations. With good governance in place, people trust their leaders and are more likely to participate in the decision-making process. This leads to better outcomes and a higher likelihood of achieving collective goals. It's essential to understand the importance of good governance in any entity, be it a business, government agency, or non-profit organisation.

Invest in the right people

It sounds obvious, but how many times have you been in a position where you have been desperately trying to fill a crucial role and had no luck, so you find yourself compromising to 'just get someone in'. Then you and team invest a huge amount of time and effort getting them up to speed and showing them how to do the role, only to realise that it's just not working out or they leave.

Hiring people who want to do the job and have the right kind of skills to do it is essential. That doesn't mean it can't be a stretch role though, we all have to learn and develop in any new role, so be careful to find the right balance but if you hold out for the perfect fit you might have that vacancy for a very long time. This means you need to be pragmatic about your job description too, are all those essential skills you have written really essential? You want to hire individuals who can do, learn and ultimately excel in their position so be really clear about what skills, knowledge and experience is actually essential or desirable. At the end of the day, you want a team that is passionate about what they do and motivated to succeed together.

Set goals and objectives that are achievable and measurable

Setting goals and objectives is an important step when it comes to achieving any goal. But have you ever felt overwhelmed or frustrated when it comes to actually achieving those goals? That's because many of us tend to set unrealistic or vague goals that are hard to measure. The key here is to set goals and objectives that are achievable and measurable. That means breaking down your big goal into smaller, more manageable steps, and setting specific milestones along the way to help keep you on track.

How do you track progress?

Once those goals are set, think about how you plan to track progress against them. It sounds obvious, but there is little point asking if someone has done something when it's due, as it's simply too late to get the activity on track if they haven't. Or setting monthly reviews to monitor progress of daily activities. Make sure your tracking protocol fits the delivery timeframes to ensure early visibility of issues to enable interventions if necessary. By the way, asking someone to let you know if they have any problems is a strategy fraught with danger, as it's so subjective.

By creating a simple governance system from the outset that is clearly communicated to all parties, you can get early visibility of any delivery risks without micro-managing your team or trying to have your eyes on everything.

A simple report that covers the following should suffice, the key is to keep it simple!

• What is going well?

• What are your top 5 concerns?

• Are you on track to deliver activity X? Y? Z?

• Do you have any concerns about delivering upcoming activities?

• What support do you need from me?

then agreeing the appropriate frequency to review this, for some, in the heat of project delivery, this may even be daily.

By doing this, you and your team will be able to see progress, seek support and stay motivated throughout the project. It will also mean you don't have to try and know everything about every activity or project in your scope, you can focus your attention and efforts where your value add is needed.

Give your team autonomy within their roles by not micro-managing them

Have you ever had a manager who asks you ten times a day how a deliverable is going? Or even worse never makes time to check in and see if you need any support? It can be frustrating, right? That's why having a governance system in place actually gives employees autonomy within their roles and leaders confidence that they can see quickly when support is needed or something is going wrong. When managers empower their team members, they not only show trust in their abilities, but they also create a more positive work environment. Plus, when your team have the freedom to make their own decisions when appropriate and tackle problems in their own way, they often come up with innovative solutions that otherwise might not have been considered.

Make sure you're flexible with your approach - don't be afraid to change course when needed

When it comes to tackling challenges, it's important to have a flexible approach. Being set in one way of thinking or doing can limit your ability to find solutions that work best for the situation at hand. Don't be afraid to pivot and try a new approach when needed. Good governance will enable you to do just that by providing that much needed early visibility of when support is needed or issues arise. This could mean taking a step back to reassess the situation, seeking feedback from others, or simply trying a different method. Being able to see the issue and then being flexible with your approach can make all the difference in finding success and reaching the goal.

Demonstrate trust and respect for those working in your team, as this will help foster an environment of collaboration

In a collaborative work environment, trust and respect for those working in your team is crucial. These values help to create an atmosphere of transparency, mutual support and understanding. When your team feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to be open and honest about their ideas and opinions, which can lead to innovative solutions and improved productivity. Respect and trust are not just words, but actions that must be consistently demonstrated. As a leader, it is important to lead by example, show appreciation for your team members’ contributions, and provide them with the support they need to succeed. In doing so, you can create a culture of trust and respect that will benefit both you and your team in the long run.

Effective governance requires you to be an informed leader, providing support when needed, being able to envisage the bigger picture and to direct people towards it. Good governance establishes clear goals and objectives, but allows individual autonomy within those boundaries so your team can be innovative. Clear, upfront governance allows you to strike a balance between constant micro-management and blanket authority - maintaining a flexible approach and allowing people to take ownership of their roles. Lastly, good governance is a way of safely building trust in your team, will motivate them and help foster collaboration - because when you create a culture of trust, people often rise to the challenge and perform at their best. Great performance stems from having great governance that’s clear, transparent and consistent.