Top tips to keep your board running smoothly and protect governors' wellbeing
Wellbeing and workload issues affect governors, too. Here are practical steps you can take to protect your governors and make sure your board is working at peak efficiency.
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Governor wellbeing matters
Common stressors for governors include:
- Heavy workloads
- Feelings of incompetence or lack of purpose
- Time constraints
- Competing responsibilities
And just as in any other workplace, poor mental health and wellbeing can lead to:
- Reduced productivity
- Increased absenteeism
- Social problems
- Difficulty recruiting
While it's no single person's responsibility to maintain the mental health and wellbeing of all the governors on the board, there are some tweaks that you, as a chair or clerk, can make to ensure that governance isn't overly burdensome.
Prioritise induction and training
If a board is to run efficiently, every governor has to know how to function in their role. This is as true for brand-new governors as it is for experienced ones who are tackling new roles.
New governor induction and further training for experienced governors can protect your governors' wellbeing by:
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