We have been doing a lot of work recently on the creation of good governance structures for a variety of charitable and social enterprise organisations.

Policies and process play a large part in this delivery, but so do relationships. How boards or committees relate to one another, how their vision of what it is they think they are doing as individuals all temper the outcome of organisational development exchanges.

The video below from  EQmentor places stress on emotional safety as a facet of healthy organisational development.

A nicely put argument about the wealth of resources that organisations offer to health and safety of the physical kind, but highlighting the meagreness of consideration often given to enotional support.

We are not totally won over on the office as home concept, which is not really a part of the argument, but the illustration of how at home we feel safe because we talk to each other, know each other very well and have permission to fail does ring a chime.

Governance within the board room is also about emotional safety and should operate along these lines too, we would argue, for an organisation in our sector to be fully functioning.

A group who operate on this ‘home’ principal can be more effective and dynamic. Is this what happens in governance development situations?

Do you agree?