Being creative with governance

There is a small but significant shift in thinking about governance happening in the creative sector in Tāmaki Makarau.

It’s almost invisible to those outside the creative sector. However, the thinking and investment being made can major impacts on governance not just in the creative sector, but for governance in Aotearoa New Zealand overall.

What is being done?

Spearheaded by an overall creative sector capability initiative, six initiatives have been undertaken in the arts sector in Auckland, lead by Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi. Three of these have a direct connection with governance:

Future models of creative governance
Building great strategy
Creative sector leadership development.

This has not been a small undertaking: it involved five organisations, 1,491 individuals as direct participants and an online outreach of 13,205 people!

What are the key insights for new ways of thinking about governance?

The work undertaken, facilitated by IoD facilitator Caren Rangi and Eynon Delamere, phase one of the creative sector governance initiative yielded generally applicable insights for governance in Aotearoa New Zealand generally, specifically in the context of new, less rigid governance paradigms:

Looking beyond compliance: While compliance is an important issue for governance, leadership is the greater challenge. “Perhaps we need to put the leadership visionary stuff up the front of the agenda when everyone is fresh and leave compliance to the end.”

Look for governance talent beyond the “usual suspects”: Look to expand board membership beyond the “lawyer, accountant, funder’ to include people who can bring visionary leadership and high-level relationship skills and reflect the community. “It’s about and, AND.’
Ensure value and strategic alignment: Ensure when you recruit, to select people who align to the organisation’s values and strategic intent.
Upskill boards to get the best from diverse boards: The pressure to upskill Māori and Pasifika for governance needs to be matched by upskilling boards to receive them and draw on the knowledge they bring to the table. “It’s too easy to put Māori on a board and say ‘we’re Tiriti focused’, but then nothing else changes.”
Support new governance talent well: Mentor and support emerging governance leadership. A tuakana / teina model. “On one board I chair, each board member takes a turn at chairing as part of their professional development.’
Harness the strengths of your organisation’s sector: Bring more creative thinking to the process of governance. “It’s not just about the leading lady, leading man. It’s about the whole cast.’

There are further reflections in Caren’s short article from the engagement with the creative sector.

The strategy and leadership capability streams of this work also suggested:

The benefits of “demystifying” strategy, building in the space for boards to step back from the day‑to‑day, compliance‑focused activities and recognise the common challenges organisations in a sector face (and learn from each other about possible solutions)
Leadership capability (including governance leadership) needs a focus on building strong relationships, slowing down, ensuring the talents of the right people are tapped and prioritising whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga.

What comes next?

Looking to the future, Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi is moving to deliver phase two of the Future Models of Creative Governance Initiative with a focus on delivering stronger creative sector leadership through fit‑for‑purpose governance practice.

This will have important implications for creative sector governance and provide wider insights for governance, including evolving governance paradigms, as the work progresses.