Over the past two years, the East Lothian Climate Action Network (ELCAN) Board has been going through a quiet evolution. Following Tim Hetherington’s inspiring leadership, he is stepping back from the Chair role. Thank you, Tim; as you remain on the Board we will continue to enjoy your valuable input.
Philip Revell joined the Board earlier this year and has offered valuable insights into more sociocratic ways of working. These factors gave us the opportunity not just to backfill this gap, but to reimagine how we share leadership, responsibilities, and decision-making.
Sociocracy, at its heart, is about making decisions together in a way that values everyone’s voice, while getting things done. With that in mind, we gathered post-its, flipcharts, and a big dose of curiosity – and set out to collaboratively understand what actually needed doing, who had the energy and skills to do it, and how we could structure roles to fit within everyone’s zone of tolerance.
We followed a three-part flow: Understand, Explore, Decide. We started by mapping out Tim’s many responsibilities and other core Board duties. From there, we surfaced the skills and capacities around the room, grouped them into natural roles, and wrote proposals independently, and briefly brought them to the group. A round of discussion and evolving exploration followed, giving space for objections, clarifications, and ultimately a collective agreement.
The outcome? A new constellation of roles and responsibilities:
- Co-Leaders (Sarah Bronson and Philip Revell, for 3 months in first instance): Holding strategic oversight, contact with staff via the Manager, and opportunity triage, with a coaching-led, collaborative style.
- Secretary (Charlie Nathan, for 6 months in the first instance): Keeping us organised with agendas, minutes, and meeting coordination.
- Facilitator (Russell McLarty, for 6 months in the first instance): Ensuring equitable and effective meetings.
- Staff Delegate (Bobby Pembleton, Climate Hub Manager): Acting as the bridge between staff and the Board, reporting in both directions, and ensuring staff task completion e.g. Supporting A/V, website updates, and managing shared comms space for Board
All Board members also remain committed to supporting fundraising efforts, attending key events, and staying in touch with their local groups.
We’ll review all roles after the agreed terms to keep things flexible and responsive. And as we build out our Staff, General, and other Circles later this year, we’ll take inspiration from this same approach.
This process reminded us that governance doesn’t need to be dry or top-heavy. Done well, it can be creative, kind, and practical – just like the climate work we’re here to support.
Want to hear more or bring a similar process to your group? Always feel free to reach out to the Hub at hello@eastlothianclimatehub.org, or to the Board at elcanchair@eastlothianclimatehub.org
Interested in joining the ELCAN Board? We are currently recruiting new members. Find out more information here: East Lothian Climate Action Network – Recruiting New Board Members
