In my experience
Alan Maden talks about how striking a balance of diverse people and skills among non-executive directors is the key to an effective board.
The secret to fly fishing is choosing the right fly; a lesson just as applicable to the boardroom as the brook for Alan Maden, non-executive director of Bolton, Salford and Trafford Mental Health Trust and a fly fishing enthusiast.
Alan has been involved with health management in the north west for 25 years and knows its nuances as well as he knows his local stretch of the River Ribble.
And while the Ribble's course has remained constant, that of health management has shifted considerably in his experience.
"The role is changing very rapidly,"
he says. "As we move towards foundation trusts, more financial skills and management skills are needed because it's a much more commercial role.
"But we always have to keep the balance because we have to keep the patient at the centre of things. That is absolutely essential."
That is why the selection and development of non-executive directors is crucial.
"The Appointments Commission is very aware of the situation and is now making appointments with a view to moving towards foundation trusts,"
he says.
"There are a lot of existing non-executive directors who are capable of making the change and developing those skills.
"But again, as we move in this direction it's important to keep focused on the patients' needs because they are the most important people."
Alan is in a position to see exactly how an effective board should work, with his own mental health trust gaining a second star in this year's Healthcare Commission ratings. Gaining NHS Foundation Trust status is also a genuine target by 2008.
So what makes a board so successful in this new, more commercially aware age of health management?
"Balance,"
he says. "Balance is the key; you have to have diversity of the people on the board, and that includes their background as well as their skills.
"We have an excellent board, definitely one of the strongest I have ever worked on, and that is down to having a good range and balance of skills together with strong leadership."
