Local Community Centre - management and directors

Lily May

I am looking to get external professional assistance regarding the running of a community centre where management and directors seem to have reached an 'impasse' and cannot get on with the real business of running the community centre. I've recently joined as director. There are issues between management and some directors. No-one wants to take ownership of the problem(s). Where do I go for help?

Peterdalkey

you are unlikely to change people who have no idea what their own responsibilities are as a director. Do-gooders juastify their incompetence by instancing their selfless toil for no cash reward.
Resign and become a volunteer if the project is dear to your heart, otherwise they will break your own kind and responsible heart!!

pedroeibar1

I do not understand how ‘management’ and directors have reached an impasse – it is for the board to set the parameters for the activities the company within the company’s objectives and for the ‘management’ to execute those instructions. Any breach of those (legal) instructions is a disciplinary matter and there should be a HR code to address this, verbal warnings, written warnings, even to the extent of dismissal.

The person who should be involved at the outset in working to resolve any dispute is the chairman. As a non-executive director your duty (and the duty of all directors) is to the company, and nothing/nobody else. The chairman runs the board; the directors should support him/her if what s/he wants to do is in the best interests of the company. That is where the buck stops, any refusal to tackle a problem is poor. You are a new director. Have you asked yourself why and by whom were you brought on board?

As a director you need to fully understand the company’s Memorandum & Articles of Association and familiarise yourself with what can be /not be done under the company’s ‘rules’; e.g. it would be important to know the notice periods for calling meetings, what constitutes a quorum, etc.

Talk to directors that you know and trust, see what their position / views are. Agree a plan of action strategy with them. Call a board meeting, (see if you can forgo ‘long’ notice period). Recommend that legal advice be taken and ask that it be done immediately. Ensure that what you say is properly minuted by the company secretary. Then do what the lawyer says. It is important that the instructions to the lawyer are clear –will s/he be acting for the board, or for the company – the answer to that depends on your specific problems. Probably not a good idea to be more specific here, given the public nature......

terryhobdell

Is the community centre in receipt of funding from any outside bodies? do they have representation on the board? Have they taken a position ?Has anyone suggested mediation, conciliation facilitation, or anything like that. As a newly appointed Director you will have difficulty in trying to force through what may be extremely sensible ideas without outside help.