This is an extract from AIM’s ‘Successful Governance for Museum Trustees’ written by Hilary Barnard and Ruth Lesirge of HBRL Consulting and is designed to help museums with establishing a framework for Trustee review.
It is desirable for the museum Board to have in place individual Trustee reviews (annually is not uncommon), as well as a more formal appraisal at the end of each term served (e.g. three years). The latter is an aid to ensuring re-appointment is appropriate. End-of-service or ‘exit’ interview when Trustees step down from the Board can also be extremely useful and contribute to improvements in the governance arrangements for your museum.
If there are shortcomings or difficult Board dynamics, the semi-structured 1:1 conversation can be a helpful mechanism, enabling Trustees to address those difficulties so that the Board is able to work more effectively. In a minority of such cases, this conversation may lead to a resignation.
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