1. Approaches to Trustee Training & needs analysis
I thought you knew…
Approaches to Trustee Training & needs analysis

2. What is the most desired skill in student politics?
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3. Apart from mind reading obviously
Take your sheet and looking around the group try and guess how many people each statement applies to – without speaking or communicating with each other
Apart from mind reading obviously
Keep your answers to hand…
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4. What will we be covering
Getting a balance between collective & individual skills on a board
Going beyond the standard categories for skills analysis
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5. Student Officers most of whom are new to being Trustees
Average Trustee Board
Student Officers most of whom are new to being Trustees
Lay Trustees with singular areas of experience – accountant, lawyer
Student Trustees without prior experience and little time to develop skill
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6. Skilled individuals – whether from the student community or not
6. BOARD EFFECTIVENESS PRINCIPLE The board works as an effective team using the appropriate balance of skills, experience, characteristics and knowledge to make informed decisions.
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7. Skilled individuals – whether from the student community or not
Collective decision making
6.1 So far as is possible, the board takes decisions collectively.
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8. Skilled individuals – whether from the student community or not
Collective decision making
Skills & training to be efficient – no one has enough time
Decisive decision making
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9. Skilled individuals – whether from the student community or not
Collective decision making
We’re ok at finance but great at HR on the whole
I’m great at finance but not at HR
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10. Do you have the following skills (1-5)
Finance
Strategy HR
Do the board as a whole have the following skills (1-5)
Finance
Strategy HR
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11. How did you do?
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12. Nolan Principles
Selflessness 
Integrity 
Objectivity
Accountability
Openness
Honesty 
Leadership 

13. Knowledge gaps and impacts on collective decision making
They will know how to deal with this
They should know this
I’m stupid to ask
I’m sure someone knows…
Luft and Ingham 1995
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14. Q1) Rank your own ability, skills and knowledge in the following areas (1-5 with 1 being lowest)
Finance
Strategy HR IT
Q2) Rank the ability, skills and knowledge of the board as a whole in the following areas (1-5 with 1 being lowest)
Finance
Strategy HR IT
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15. Included questions based on values as well as skills
Targeting Training
Included questions based on values as well as skills
Asked about both individual competency and perception of wider group
Analysed jointly as well as for each section of the board (Students, Officers and Lay Trustees)
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16. Targeting Training Area Individual Board
Charity Law including Ultra Vires
Setting financial budgets
Considering financial accounts
Higher Education Policy
Health and Safety
Recruiting senior staff members
Understanding “student voice”
Setting strategic goals
Promoting diversity & inclusion
Governance
Risk Management
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17. Questions at this stage?
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18. Governance HR CONFORMANCE Finance Law Entrepreneurs Strategy Community
Employability
PERFORMANCE
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19. Link to documents (Bureaucracy warning)
Conforming from Risk Register, Trustee Responsibilities & Strategic Enablers
Performing for Strategy goals & new opportunities
Over to you 
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20. Use a few moments to think about the skills you want to develop and / or recruit for in your board.
Try and focus it on elements of your strategic plan, Risk Register or issues coming up for your Union
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21. Targeting Training Area Individual Board
Charity Law including Ultra Vires
Setting financial budgets
Considering financial accounts
Higher Education Policy
Health and Safety
Recruiting senior staff members
Understanding “student voice”
Setting strategic goals
Promoting diversity & inclusion
Governance
Risk Management
Nick Smith Training

22. Used to recruit lay trustees
Targeting Training
Used to recruit lay trustees
Held training half day including session on applicable charity law led by one of the lay trustees
Other session slot was led by student officers on diversity of the student body
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23. Skills & training to be efficient – no one has enough time
All Trustees, especially officers and lay trustees, time poor
Training working around existing schedule
Usual commitment is Trustee meetings so training based around that
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24. 1 Training and Strategy Day a Year
Training each meeting for 30 minutes before start of board
Linked to agenda for following meeting but also Strategy, Risk Register and TNA
Briefings for different areas – train as a group, inform as individuals
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25. What will we be covering
Getting a balance between collective & individual skills on a board
Going beyond the standard categories for skills analysis
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26. Thoughts, questions, comments
Via Kat Sullivan at NUS
@nixmyth82
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