In their shoes:
Laura Sercombe
Continuing our 'in their shoes' series, we sat down with Laura Sercombe, CEO of Girls Friendly Society, which has been shortlisted for this year's Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year award.
Continuing our 'in their shoes' series, we sat down with Laura Sercombe…
Tell us a little about you, and what makes you tick...
I have worked for charities for the last 35 years, and I am determined to do something in my working life to address the imbalances and unfairness that exists in our society. This has been disability and gender inequalities, but it applies to all areas of marginalisation that people experience.
How would you describe your role as a governance professional?
My role is to remember that we are answerable to the people we support, the funders who enable our work to take place and the regulators who demand high quality. In all my work with the team, I am fortunate enough to enjoy it. I try to step back and ask, ‘what are we missing’ and ‘how can we be better’.
Would you say there’s a typical day in the life of a role/governance professional?
There is no typical day in my role, and I am lucky enough to work across teams which is so exciting.
What do you think are the most important skills that you need for your role as a governance professional?
Patience, understanding of change management, appreciation of structure and deadlines, desire to see quality and excellent people skills.
This has been an interesting year for us all. How have you adapted in your role as a governance professional?
Fast! Lockdown meant we had to do everything so quickly, and that was invigorating and exciting because we saw so much innovation in such a short period of time. I think I have embraced that change far more readily and been brave to see things through that perhaps I would have taken longer to achieve. This has had a lasting impact on me and shown me just how much this little team can do together!
Do you have any thoughts regarding what those coming into the profession should know?
Good inter-team working relationships drive the successful implementation of an excellent governance approach. It is important to know that you sit outside the day job of everyone else, and bringing governance into their day job in a way that is palatable and sustainable is key.
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