Ep 16 The Big Night

Most AGMs bomb not because the organisation is failing but because the preparation wasn't done. The wrong people didn't know their roles. The constitution hadn't been checked. The annual report was written the week before by one person. Other Business opened and the meeting went off-script for forty minutes. None of that has to happen. In this episode, the Kates use the theatrical metaphor to show that a great AGM is a production — and like all great productions, the work is almost entirely done before anyone in the audience takes their seat. In This Episode The production schedule — why five months goes faster than you think, and why great AGMs start the moment the financial year closes The Production Manager (your Treasurer) — what they need to do before anyone sees the numbers, including prescribed association status and the mandatory independent audit threshold The Stage Manager (your Secretary) — the constitution as production bible, notices, quorum, nominations and what happens when the legal logistics go wrong The Programme (your Annual Report) — the centrepiece the audience takes home, why it deserves better than two pages of dense text, and what a great one looks like Nominations from the floor — why they're a recipe for chaos and how to close the loophole in your constitution Opening night — the Chair's job as Director, keeping pace, managing the critics and not allowing ad-libbing Other Business — not an agenda item, not a thing, and why a good chair doesn't put it on the agenda, ask for it, or allow it What a five-star review looks like — and what a bad review looks like, and why bad reviews last Free Download An AGM Preparation Checklist from the Committee Companion — a production schedule you can use to work backwards from your AGM date. Download here! Want to Go Further? If your AGM could use some backstage support — or if there are other governance challenges you'd like a fresh pair of eyes on — that's exactly the kind of work the Kates do through Kate Hartwig Consulting, Liquorice Allsorts, and Fresh Allsorts. Find out more at freshallsorts.com.au. This Week's Challenge Pull out the minutes from your last AGM and ask three questions: Was quorum confirmed and recorded before business started? Were nominations closed and candidate statements in members' hands before the night? Would a new member reading your annual report understand what your organisation achieved this past year? If the answer to any of those is no, start your next production schedule now. The AGM Preparation Checklist in the show notes is your starting point. Got a Question for the Kates? Use the contact form at thecommitteeroom.com.au. The Kates love a curly question — and there's another Your Questions Answered episode coming up very soon. About Your Hosts Kate Hartwig has spent forty years working in and around not-for-profit and membership organisations — as a CEO, director, and independent consultant. Her Committee Companion is a head start on good governance with checklists, frameworks and exemplars for committee members. katehartwig.com.au <p class="wp-block-para