Family Council Membership: Related Aspects
Par Family Councils Ontario
Throughout this month, we’ve been exploring various aspects of Family Council membership, from the legislation and associated best practices, to the importance of members having a stake in the Home and what makes a good Family Council member. To wrap up our blog series on membership, this week we’ll look at other aspects related to membership.
Recruitment
It’s impossible to discuss Family Council membership best practices without recognizing the importance of ongoing recruitment efforts. After all, if you don’t recruit people to join the Council, you won’t have members! Recruitment is always going to be an ongoing process for Councils. Membership ebb and flow is a constant reality for Councils and so it is essential to always be thinking about ways to reach out to people to encourage them to join the Council. For more on recruitment, check out this blog post: https://www.fco.ngo/blog/family-council-recruitment
Inspired Participation
Once you have people willing to attend a meeting and join the Council, the focus shifts to how to engage members in the Council. That is where inspired participation comes in. Inspiring participation in members comes down to identifying what people are good at or passionate about, and matching that interest to a need of the Council. You need to understand your members, provide an opportunity for them to contribute their skills, knowledge, passion and abilities to the Council in a meaningful way, and acknowledge and appreciate the contribution. People need to feel included and appreciated. Successful Councils recognize the importance not only of building membership but also of engaging members to keep them on the Council.
Leadership Models
Since Council leaders are selected from and by the members, the leadership model is another important aspect related to membership. Your Council’s leadership model needs to make sense given the needs, interests, capacities, and skills of your members. Some Councils prefer a traditional officer model (with elected chair/president, co-chair/vice president, and secretary positions) whereas other prefer a shared or committee model where people take on pieces of work rather than traditional roles. No matter what your Council opts for, it is important that the model chosen is appropriate to your group and that the details of the model are contained in your Council’s Terms of Reference.
Read more on leadership models here: https://www.fco.ngo/blog/family-council-structure-various-ways-organize
Succession Planning
We all know that there is a normal ebb and flow to Family Council membership. Succession planning is very relevant to Family Councils. It is defined as the purposeful, formalized assessment and development of individuals for future leadership positions, projects or tasks. It is Important because of the changing realities of Family Councils i.e. membership turnover. It is important to develop a succession plan for key positions in advance so that your group is prepared for the change. Not doing so can result in a gap that negatively impacts your Council’s ability to work together effectively and achieve your goals. Read more about succession planning here: https://www.fco.ngo/blog/group-development-month-succession-planning
Family Council strength is dependent on the members. That’s why it is essential to focus on the people who comprise your Council and ensure that your structures and operations are appropriate and support success.
Stay tuned next month as we explore diversity in Long-Term Care!