Author: Graeme Innes AM

Drunk in charge of a dog

Much time in our community, and our legal system, is focussed on punishing people who travel whilst intoxicated. The majority of them drive cars, although the Australian Road Rules do make it an offense to be drunk in charge of a wheelchair. In times gone by – and perhaps as a rarity even in the present day – people have been caught drunk in charge of a horse or camel. But I wonder if anyone has been charged with being drunk in charge of a dog, particularly a guide dog.

Come back with me to New York in August of 2006. It was a warm Friday evening, and the United Nations Ad Hoc Working Group On A Comprehensive And Integral International Convention On The Protection And Promotion Of The Rights And Dignity Of Persons With Disabilities (You’ve gotta love the UN- why use three words when you could use twenty-seven) had just agreed on the draft text of the Disability Convention.

The excitement was palpable, and as one friend put it- “I was so full of emotion that some of it leaked out and ran down my cheek.” Cheering, applause, hand-shakes, kisses and hugs were in evidence throughout the room.

It will surprise no-one that festivities moved from the somewhat staid surroundings of the UN building to a range of hotels near by. The Australian watering-hole of choice for the occasion was the Wheel-tapper inn, an irish pub on 44th street. So my guide dog Jordie and I joined the happy throng there.

Backs were slapped, rounds were bought and consumed, and the revelry continued. At one point I was called outside to do an ABC radio interview about the Convention, and when asked whether I was pleased with the result I replied that I was elated, adding an adjectival expletive which rhymes with trucking. The considerate ABC journalist, to whom I have given a number of “exclusives” since, suggested that I might wish to repeat my answer, and the first version hit whatever is the equivalent of the cutting room floor in the digital world in which we live. I have since instituted my “two drinks no interviews” policy.

I was booked on an early flight home the next day, so at about nine PM Jordie and I prudently returned to our hotel to pack. This task was completed before ten, but the beer-fuelled adrenalin was still pumping through my veins, so I – perhaps less prudently – returned to the Wheel-tapper to find the celebrations still in full swing. Thinking that I had a long plane flight during which I could sleep, and knowing we had successfully come to the end of five years of hard work, I enthusiastically re-joined the party.

My early days as a cricketer taught me that “what goes on tour stays on tour”, so I will not provide further details of Australian delegation “irish pub” activities. It is rumoured that I enthusiastically delivered a post-witching hour version of the well-known Australian ballad “The man from Ironbark” to the whole bar – complete with translations of Australian idioms – but I’m sure that this can’t be true. I’ve never been known to do that in the past! It is also rumoured that I was drinking toasts with Sambuca, but that’s never been known to happen before either!

My watch must have malfunctioned during the celebrations, because the time it showed when I decided to return to my hotel had little connection with my reality. Still, I felt fine, and was confident of a few hours sleep before my airport departure.

However, when I walked out of the irish pub smog, and into the New York night air, things did not seem quite as clear. Some how I had completely forgotten the location of the hotel in which I had been living for the two weeks of the drafting session. So I did the only thing possible- leaned down, patted my guide dog on the head, and said “Take me home Jordie.”

Three street blocks and two avenue blocks later, we walked confidently into the hotel foyer, where I promptly knelt and gave Jordie a big hug. She gave me a happy lick in response, appreciating praise for a job well done. My “drunk in charge of a dog” experience had escaped the notice of the watchful New York constabulary.

Has your guide dog ever performed a similar feat of navigation, particularly after breathing irish pub fumes for a number of hours? Please let me know.

Graeme Innes loves a party, has a taste for Sambuca, and recites Australian poetry at the drop of a hat. That explains it- someone’s cap must have fallen off during the celebrations.

This article was first published on the Hoopla.

Take The Lead

Today is International Guide Dog day. This blog contains the speech I made to launch the Guide Dogs Australia “Take The Lead” campaign.

Picture the scene. I’m walking down Sydney’s George Street towards the Wynyard ramp with my Guide Dog Arrow. It’s the way I walk to catch the train most days. It’s a busy, crowded footpath, with pedestrians going both ways, and usually not walking to the left. It’s a noisy street – buses cars and motor bikes, music from shops, people yelling to be heard above the noise. Arrow and I are both concentrating hard to find our way through.

Just at the top of the Wynyard ramp someone – I’m guessing a homeless person or a busker – is sitting on the footpath. Sitting with them is their little pet dog. The first thing I know about the dog is when it jumps up, barks, and tries to attack Arrow for being in its space. Arrow is spooked, and jumps sideways. I’m scared silly and run into a few pedestrians. Footpath chaos ensues.

After the melee is sorted out, I talk to the dog owner, and explain what has occurred. He gets it straight away, and decides to “take the lead”.

He and his little dog are still there every day, but because he is taking the lead, Arrow and I can now walk past in safety. I usually wave as I go by- I’m not sure that Arrow is prepared to be quite that friendly.

This story – which happened three or four weeks ago – encapsulates the purpose of this campaign. In my story the little dog did not bite Arrow, and I was not crossing the road when the attack occurred. But the consequences of either of those things occurring are clear.

Guide Dogs Australia has today released alarming new research from a survey of 220 Guide Dog handlers across Australia. It reveals that 3 Guide Dogs a month were attacked by a pet dog while working during the past year.

1 in 4 Guide Dogs attacked sustained injuries, with two Guide Dogs retired as a result of the trauma. Off-lead pet dogs were the cause of most attacks.

There’s no doubt Australia is a nation of dog lovers, with 4.2 million pet dogs across the country. This also means 4.2 million potential safety hazards for Guide Dogs. That’s why I’m encouraging dog owners to take the lead to help create a safe community for everyone, especially Guide Dogs and their handlers.

A common inhibitor to my independence, and to me doing my job, is other dogs distracting Arrow from her job. This can make her anxious and put me at risk. Distraction is unexpected and it happens so fast. I can’t see the other dog, so I don’t know what we are dealing with and I can become scared for myself and Arrow. This is particularly true if I’m about to cross the road.

I’ve been in my role as a Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission for more than eight years. In fact, my appointment ends in July. In that time, I have had the privilege of taking the lead in advocating for same sex equality, removal of discrimination against people on the grounds of their race, the disadvantage experienced by people seeking asylum, and a fairer go for people with disabilities. Now I’m asking all Australians to take the lead so that I, and other Guide Dog handlers, and our Guide Dogs can do our jobs without distraction.

I’m proud to launch this campaign.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm

It was a hot sticky day in Sydney as I walked along the leafy suburban street with my first guide dog Jordie. I was wearing shorts and t-shirt, so put my phone and keys in the little backpack she wears – it’s usually filled with plastic bags for when I go on poop patrol.

As I walked past an outdoor cafe my phone rang.
“Hey Jordie,” I said “your phone’s ringing,” as I stopped to unzip the backpack and take the call.

I laughed out loud when I heard one of the latte sippers say to another – “oh look, that guide dog has its own mobile phone.”

Guide dogs often draw attention to the user. This can sometimes be positive – they are an excellent “chick magnet” –  but sometimes the attention is not preferred. And sometimes the questions asked range from funny to bizarre.

Here are some I have experienced. I’d love to hear your stories as a build-up to International Guide Dog Day on 30 April.

1.
As I arrive (usually from a female) “Awww, isn’t he cute!”
My response, “Thanks, and the dog’s not bad looking either.”

2.
As I get off the train, from an amazed schoolboy: “Wow, how does the dog know which station to get off?” My reply “She listens to the announcements, just like I do.”

3.
Question to me “Is this the first time you have been here. How did the dog know the way?” My reply: “I let her borrow my GPS.”

4.
I walk into the supermarket, and ask for some assistance to locate the items I need. Response “But can’t the dog find them for you?”

5.
As I get into a taxi: “Does your dog bite?”
My response: “Only when she’s hungry. That reminds me, I haven’t fed her today.”

All of these stories are true. Please share your experiences with me and readers.

Graeme Innes is a man with a smart mouth, who constantly shares what amuses him with the rest of the world. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook ágraemeinnes.

Paralympic Gold Medalist And Guide Dog Fall From Train

Bart Bunty, who won paralympic gold for Australia in down-hill skiing several years ago, fell from a train with his guide dog Chevy last Friday as the result of no “next stop announcements”.

Bart, who was travelling to the Blue Mountains for the weekend, was on an inter-urban Sydney Trains train, which did not have next stop announcements. He attempted to get off the train at Leura, where the front two carriages pull up past the front of the platform. As well as no “next stop announcements”, passengers were not advised of this safety issue. Bart and Chevy fell onto the tracks.

Luckily, neither he nor his guide dog Chevy sustained serious injury, and were assisted from the tracks by the driver and guard. Bart has a twisted ankle and knee, and Chevy has a broken harness and a serious fright.

But this was a very near miss. A serious injury could have occurred as the result of no announcements on this train. These announcements are a requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act, as was demonstrated by my court action against Railcorp several years ago. And still they are not occurring on all public transport in NSW.

In my role as Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner I have called on the Premier of NSW, and the NSW Minister for Transport, to ensure immediate implementation of “next stop announcements” on all NSW public transport. I have also called for passengers to be advised, through announcements, of this and similar safety concerns.

Whenever a person who is blind or has low vision is using a large public transport vehicle, such as a train, tram or bus, we need to know where we are. We also need to be advised of significant safety hazards. This can only be done through audio announcements.

There has been improvement in the announcements made on Sydney Trains since my court case. But announcements must be made all the time, not just most of the time. And they must also be made on trams and buses, where they are currently sadly lacking. These announcements do not just benefit people who are blind or have low vision – many other passengers find them very useful, and would be safer if they occurred all the time.

I have sought urgent meetings with both the Premier and the Minister for Transport. Serious injury was avoided on this occasion, but we may not be so lucky next time.

What are your experiences on public transport – buses, trains, trams? Are the announcements adequate?

Graeme Innes is Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner, and he and his guide dog Arrow are regular users of public transport throughout Australia.

Captain Grumpy

Ex-Australian cricket captain Alan Border and I have something in common. No, it’s not the inate cricket ability that he had and I dream about. It’s that, sometimes, just doing your job, or living your life, as a person with a disability, can make you grumpy.

I’m sitting in an airport gate lounge, my guide dog beside me, drinking coffee, looking at twitter, and waiting for my flight to board.
“Hi, I’m Shane,” says the ground staffer as he approaches me, “We’re ready to board you now.”

I think “Why would I want to stop what I’m doing, not finish my coffee, and exchange this spacious plastic chair for a cramped airline seat ten minutes earlier than anyone else. I say “I’m happy to board with the rest of the passengers, thanks.”

“But you’re a “special” passenger,” he says. “We want to give you more time for you and your dog to settle in.”

I think “that’s code for: we want you on and out of the way before all of the others.” I say “Thank you, I don’t need any extra time.”

“But this is a legal requirement,” he says.

I think “that’s code for: I’m now going to try to bully you.”
I say “It’s actually not, and I’m very happy hear til the flight boards, thanks Shane.”

He sighs loudly, and says “Ok, all right.” and goes away.
I think: “that’s code for: what a Captain Grumpy. And I was just trying to help.”

An hour or so later-
“Sir, we’re landing in Hobart today, and there is no aerobridge. So if you just wait til last, I’ve booked the forklift to take you off the plane.”

“But it’s just my eyes that don’t work, not my legs.” I reply.

“Well, I was just trying to help,” is the unhappy response.
“And I appreciate your help, but perhaps you should have checked with me first.”

For some blind people, this decision may have been necessary, or appreciated. Just as some people with disabilities may need or want to board first. But why not ask if that’s what we want, rather than just assume. Because of the soft bigotry of low expectations.

It happens all the time-
People who use wheelchairs are regularly discussed – in their presence – as if they were luggage.
People with disabilities travelling with family members or friends are often not talked to at all- even when the question is about them. “Can he walk down the plane aisle, or will he need the chair,” said to the friend of a man using a wheelchair.

My wife has been scolded on one flight for “allowing me” to use the “wrong” (business class) toilet.

People with disabilities are often made to wait for long periods of time. Periods of time which most customers would just not tolerate.

Why do these things happen? Because many people in the community, and thus the airline industry, have a negative or limiting view of the capability of people with disabilities. And the customer service training of airline staff – and many other service industries – on disability issues is just not adequate.

I’m very happy, at any time, for someone to offer me assistance. I’m not happy, at most times, to have the decision made for me. That’s the critical difference.

We’ll go this longer way because there’s a lift- you won’t be able to use stairs; Your dog won’t be able to go on the escalators;
Just wait here and we’ll get someone to push your wheelchair;
We want to give you special treatment, so we’re taking you onto the aircraft first, and leaving you to get off last.

When people just assume that women will interrupt their career to have children, or won’t be interested in a more senior role, women rightly get annoyed.
When people do not give job applicants with non-anglo names an interview, those applicants rightly get annoyed.
But when people assume that if you have a disability you won’t be able to do something, we’re just supposed to smile and say “thank you for patronising me.”

So, if I’m being Captain Grumpy, perhaps consider your assumptions, rather than my manners.

Graeme Innes is a disability advocate and cricket tragic, and does a fair imitation of an Alan Border media interview if negative assumptions are made about him as a result of his disability.

Doing Life

Dr Katharine Mallory has worked as a General Practitioner in Kalgoorlie and Perth Western Australia for more than twenty years. Much of this time she has worked in clinics providing health services to Aboriginal people.

Dr Mallory’s story was published in the Medical Forum WA last month, and I was prompted to write to the editor with my views of the story. Dr Mallory’s story is remarkable – in the true sense of the word – because she uses a wheelchair. She said that doctoring in general practise does not involve too many restrictions.
“The examination couch I work with is modified so that I can get my wheelchair under it, and get quite close to the patient,” she said.

My letter, setting out my views on Dr Mallory’s story, is below-

Dear Editor,

Most people’s response to Dr Katharine Mallory’s story [February edition] would be “amazing”, “inspiring”, “remarkable” etc. My reaction, as a lawyer who is blind, and as Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner, is “what a great story about Katharine doing life.”

Someone once asked me if I was scared, as a person who cannot see, travelling the world on my own. “Sure I am,” I replied.
“Then why do you do it,” he said.
My response: “Because the alternative – not doing it – is much scarier.”

Whatever issues we face in life – marital or family problems, a lack of confidence in public speaking, disability etc – we still have a life to lead. You play the hand of cards you have been dealt, the best way you can. So I’m pleased, but not surprised, by Katharine’s story. Because for me it’s not about what’s missing – it’s about what’s there.

The biggest barrier that people with disabilities face in Australia is the attitude barrier – the way people limit us by assuming that there are things we cannot do. Of course I cannot drive a car, and Katharine can’t reach medical supplies down from a high shelf. But it doesn’t prevent me being a lawyer, nor her being a doctor.

Medical practices should be accessible for patients with disabilities, as should all other facilities in our communities. That’s why the Australian Human Rights Commission worked with the RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) some years ago to have adjustable height couches mandatory in General Practices. Not only do they achieve better outcomes for patients with mobility disabilities, they also mean that doctors and nurses protect their backs, so it’s a win-win.

One in five Australians has a disability. So if we want a community which includes everyone then it needs to be an accessible community. I congratulate Medical Forum WA for running this story, and Katharine for “doing life.”

Graeme Innes,
Disability Discrimination Commissioner

Fifteen responses that show Siri is like sooo a teenager

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. George Bernard Shaw.

As a person who can’t see the screen of my iDevice I rely quite a lot on Siri. Whilst as a male over fifty, with some level of hearing loss, I find the male voice (available in the latest upgrade) easier to understand, I fear I may have lost somewhat in emotional intelligence following the change. But that would be assigning gender qualities to my iDevice wouldn’t it?

I asked Siri to do something for me last Sunday morning at about ten o’clock, and the response was incredibly slow and a bit sulky. This caused me to wonder whether Siri was, in fact, a teenager.

Now I have some experience with this particular self-sustaining life form, having been more or less successfully trained by one some years ago, and then submitting myself to the training process all over again during the last four or five years. So I considered the general approach of the teenage life form, and realised that my hypothesis was further supported by the latest adaptation for Siri, in which you can just lift the i-Device to your ear rather than pushing the button to talk. This seemed to equate well with the teenage preponderance for an immediately oppositional position to anything which requires movement, or “leaving the cave”.

I decided to try fifteen (note the amount) of the phrases I regularly use with teenagers, and check Siri’s responses. The results – as well as looking remarkably like the lists in most Buzzfeed articles – confirmed my hypothesis.

So here they are-

Comment 1. You need to clean up your room!
Siri: You are certainly entitled to that opinion.

Comment 2: You can’t go out wearing that!
Siri: Is that so!

Comment 3: (As asked by a grand-parent or older aunt or uncle in a vain attempt to sustain conversation with teenager) So, how tall are you? Siri: Not exceedingly big, but my gravitational pull is quite strong.

Comment 4: Have you done your homework?
Siri: I found an article on homework in Wikipedia. Shall I read it to you?

Comment 5: It’s a beautiful day. Why don’t you go outside?
Siri: I don’t understand it’s a beautiful day, why don’t you go outside. But I could search the web for it.

Comment 6: What time are you getting out of bed?
Siri: Checking my sources on the web for that.

Comment 7: I don’t care what you say, you are not going.
Siri: Ok, you don’t then!

Comment 8: When are you going to have something to eat?
Siri: I can’t really say.

Comment 9: Can you clean the bathroom?
Siri: I’m not sure if I’m able to do that or not, but I’m always learning new things.

Comment 10: Just listen to me!
Siri: You’re coming through loud and clear.

Comment 11: Have you considered that, as an adult, I might just have a bit more experience on the subject? Siri: Who? Me?

Comment 12: Should we talk about sex, and taking precautions? Siri: I’m sure I don’t know.

Comment 13: Just do it! don’t answer back!
Siri: I’m not sure I understand.

Comment 14: I will count to ten before I answer that.
Siri: I’m not sure what that means.

Comment 15: It’s not that I don’t trust you, I’m just not sure you’re ready to do that yet. Siri: If you insist!

All of the above comments and responses by Siri are true, and I can assure you that – although it was close at times – no iDevice was harmed in the writing of this blog.

Much silly comments! Very annoying! Wow!

What’s your funniest experience with Siri, and how old do you think Siri is? Siri tells me that a gender has not been assigned, so I have refrained in this blog from using female or male pronouns.

Graeme Innes is a doting dad, who constantly annoys and embarrasses the teenagers in his life by emailing them articles from Buzzfeed, and persistently failing to be too cool for school.

It was paid back: What’s the problem?

Within the confines of the law, the duty of a Board Member is always to the organisation.

When the Advocacy organisation needed a new Finance Manager, Glenda was the perfect fit. She was a well-known advocate in the disability field, and had a teenage son with a disability. She was qualified as a bookkeeper, and had three years experience with a SME. As a single mum, she was the only income earner.

The appointment worked out well. Her friendly personality fitted with the office culture, her work was efficient and accurate, and the Board were pleased with her monthly reports. The extra costs of her son’s therapy ($600 a month was mentioned at her interview) were an ongoing problem for her. As a Board supportive of our employees, we were pleased that her job gave her a method of addressing those costs.

Our auditor Tom had been with us for six years – good governance would suggest it was time for a change. We had always had a clean bill of health, but at the end of this financial year Tom raised an unusual query. On the first day of three consecutive months there had been a $600 cash withdrawal which was not accounted for. On the fifteenth day of each month- which was the day staff were paid – there had been a $600 unaccounted for cash deposit. So at the end of the month the books balanced. Tom detailed this in his auditors report, which came to the Board.

Our CEO was also puzzled. She had asked Glenda, who had no explanation.

As a member of the Audit and Finance Committee I was worried. The discrepancy had occurred three times, and it was always the same amount. I thought we might have an ongoing problem.

I asked our Treasurer to keep a lookout, and she told me that whilst it did not show in the July figures, it did in August, and had risen to $620.

Our Treasurer, who had become friends with Glenda as they worked on the financial reports, spoke to her again, explaining that we would have to investigate further, perhaps at a cost to the organisation. During that conversation, Glenda admitted that she had been “borrowing” the money. She had not been able to afford her son’s therapy when the payment was due at the end of each month, so had taken the cash, but always repaid it on pay day.

How should we, as a Board, deal with this issue?

We had lost no money. We had a committed and diligent employee, whose work was not in doubt, and whose support of the organisation, and its philosophy, was not in question. Her son needed the therapy, and as parents we empathised with her determination that he should continue to have it. In fact, had Glenda come to any one of us on the Board, we would probably have lent her the money.

But, by using the organisation’s funds in this way, even temporarily, Glenda had breached our trust.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors http://www.companydirectors.com.au have established ten Good Governance Principles. Let’s look at the ones to consider in making our decision.

Principle 4. Risk- Recognition and Management- The systems we had in place worked. The Auditor found the problem and reported it to us. The CEO did not solve the problem, but she had followed up.

Principle 6. Board Effectiveness- Having an Audit and Finance Committee meant that particular members of the Board gave the matter their continued attention.

Principle 7. Integrity and Accountability- An employee, with responsibility for financial matters, had breached the Board and the organisation’s trust in the area of money handling, not once but four times. Our fiduciary duty to the organisation required us to take some action.

Principle 9. Culture and Ethics- The Board sought to lead with a culture of openness and honesty. We also wanted to demonstrate our support for employees, particularly in the area of disability.

It was with regret that we, as Directors, putting our fiduciary duty to the organisation first, asked Glenda for her resignation. It was one of the hardest Boardroom decisions I have had to make.

What would you have done?

Graeme Innes has been a Company Director for more than thirty years, and still finds new learnings in the pain of tough decisions.

Does The CEO Fit?

As a member of a Board your challenges are many, but probably the most critical is the appointment of the CEO. http://www.governance.com.au/board-matters/fx-view-article.cfm?lo adref=2&article_id=3602510C-6E21-476A-918649DA236E8382

Glenn was more passionate about the idea than any of us- he drafted the funding submissions, attended all of the meetings with bureaucrats and politicians, and began drawing the resources together before we even had a centre. He was working full-time as a community worker, but spent many of his nights and weekends lobbying, writing letters, following up with supporters and building the membership base. When the government funding finally came through he was the obvious person to appoint as our first CEO.

It was first’s all round, as this was my first Board. As the Board’s Secretary I worked well with Glenn. Our Chair was a good leader, and respected in the field, but she didn’t have the time for much of the hands-on work.

Glenn and I learned together. I was impressed with Glenn’s entrepreneurial skills- he found a very accessible office site and negotiated excellent lease conditions, he found furniture and computer equipment at great prices, and he was brilliant at letting people know about the start of the centre. During the first three months we had double the client visits required as a Key Performance Indicator by our funders. More and more material became available, and our library was growing.

I first became concerned when our Treasurer told us at a Board meeting that she could not report, as the material was not prepared. Glenn verbally took us through the financial situation in detail, but said he had not had time to prepare the written documentation.

As a new Board member, I tried to make myself available to both members and clients, without getting too involved in the running of the centre- noses in, fingers out, being the golden rule for Directors. About six weeks later, I was approached by an unhappy member, who told me that he had made a significant donation to the centre on the 10th of June. His receipt was dated 5 July. This meant he could not claim it on his tax this year as he had intended.

I spoke to Glenn about this, encouraging him to delegate the receipting and financial record-keeping to our Admin Officer. He told me this was a good idea, but when I checked with her a month later it had not happened.

The work of the Centre was increasing, and our funders were pleased. Glenn applied for an extension of our grant at the end of twelve months, and was successful. We were able to employ an Advocacy Officer and a Librarian. The Board, and our clients, were very happy.

Six months later, our Admin Officer resigned. Glenn advised the Board that she had obtained another job at higher pay. However, one of the Board members told me two weeks later that her new job was at the same wage, and she had much further to travel. Apparently Glenn had delegated responsibility for all financial matters to her, not provided her with any training, and then accused her of being responsible when the books would not balance. We employed another Admin Officer, and I ensured that the Board approved payment for a one-day course on our finance system.

More staff trouble occurred six months after that. Both of our new staff approached the Board Chair, telling her that they were having real problems with Glenn’s micro-management, and were thinking of leaving. The next day Glenn approached our Chair to advise that he had just completed performance appraisals for both staff, and that they were not doing well. Glenn’s report seemed significantly different from what we were hearing from the clients.

The Chair and I talked to Glenn, and encouraged him to do some management training. We found an independent person to do some staff mediation, and things seemed to settle down.

The final crunch came when our main funder took me aside after a meeting we had both attended. He told me that he thought the Centre was going really well, and was therefore surprised that our funding submission for the next year had not arrived by the closing date last Friday. I asked for a seven-day extension, and went to talk with Glenn.

I discovered that – contrary to reports to the last Board meeting – work on the submission had hardly commenced. Glenn had been so busy on library and advocacy issues, as well as monitoring the book-keeping, that he had not had a chance to work on it. We worked together for the next three evenings, and lodged the submission on the last possible day.

However, during that process, I discovered more problems-
financial, client record-keeping, and much staff unhappiness. Clearly, Glenn was a great entrepreneur and community worker. But he was not a builder, or a good manager. It was with great sadness that – two weeks later, after consulting the Board – the Chair and I terminated Glenn’s employment.

This story happened thirty years ago, but I still remember the details as if it were yesterday. I learned so much from my experiences on that Board, and have been building on that knowledge ever since.

Where had we gone wrong? Had we chosen the wrong CEO, or had the role changed so that it no longer met Glenn’s skill set?

The Australian Institute of Company Directors http://www.companydirectors.com.au have established ten Good Governance Principles. Let’s look at the areas where we, as a Board, could have improved our performance.

Principle 3. Purpose and Strategy- Perhaps under this principle we could have been clearer about where the Centre was going, and the subsequent staffing and management requirements. Glenn’s role had significantly changed, from entrepreneur at the start, to builder and manager two years later. Attempts to get him to improve his skill set had been unsuccessful. He was no longer the right “fit” for the job.

Principle 4. Risk- Recognition and Management- As the Centre grew, and Glenn’s role changed, we could have put some risk management in place. Were the risks of growing the organisation listed and assessed? Did we have a plan for CEO succession?

Principle 5. Organisational Performance- With a three-fold increase in staff during two years, were we adequately monitoring the Centre’s performance? Could we have found more internal signs of Glenn’s lack of skills, and assisted him to enhance those skills?

Principle 7. Integrity and Accountability- Were we too prone to accept Glenn’s shortcomings because of the other excellent skills he brought to the organisation? Should we have done more when the earlier signs became clear?

Principle 8. Organisation Building- This is an important function of the Board, particularly in smaller organisations. Whilst Glenn was clearly a great entrepreneur, should we have foreseen his weaknesses in staff and financial management, and acted to address them?

As members of Boards we can always do better. And stories such as this can be an instructive way to avoid mistakes already made by someone else.

Let me know how you would have handled this situation?

Graeme Innes has been a Company Director for more than thirty years, but finds every Board meeting an excellent opportunity to enhance his skills.

My seat on the bus

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: It would be a jolly site harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” Change according to CS Lewis.

Stephen Hawking also believes in change. He said “I have noticed even people who claim everything is pre-destined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road”.

And David Mamet, through the script of “Wag the Dog”, thinks change requires co-operation. “For progress to occur, it is necessary for two generations to agree”.

In my view, change is easy. It’s awareness, and willingness to change, that require effort.

Seven-year-old Duncan’s parents are worried. He’s about to be suspended from school.

Duncan and his family live just outside a regional town in Victoria, Australia. He catches the bus to school each day – the first stop on the route is right outside his house, so he gets the seat right behind the driver. He returns on the bus at the end of the school day. He’s doing all right at school, and getting on with friends.

But the school says he has been violent towards other children on the bus in the afternoons. Duncan (not his real name) has autism.

The school Principal is supportive of Duncan’s attendance, but the school has a strong anti-violence policy with which she must comply. She can only conclude that the school day is too tiring for Duncan.

Mum and Dad both work, so can’t pick him up, and Grandma – who minds him in the afternoons – doesn’t drive. Parents and teachers have talked to Duncan about the problem, but the reports of hitting and pinching keep coming. Suspension seems the only option.

Duncan’s mum has read about the Convention on the Rights of People with Disability, the Victorian Charter of Human Rights, and State and Federal disability discrimination legislation. She knows how much Duncan loves school, and wants to do everything she can. As a last resort, she talks to a Disability Rights Advocate.

The Advocate contacts the Principal, and details Duncan’s rights to education, and the need for the school to provide reasonable adjustment for Duncan. The Principal agrees that the Advocate can observe Duncan for a day at school before she imposes the suspension.

The Advocate sees that Duncan is happy on the way to school, and during school. The problem only occurs on the way home, when all of the kids rush onto the bus, and Duncan can’t sit in the front seat. So, with a small change to routine to let Duncan get on the bus first, and sit in the front seat, his education continues.

Have you seen situations where a small change can make a big difference? Comment below!

This story was obtained from the Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, and has been used by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes in a number of his speeches.

Graeme Innes thirsts for change, and is passionate in his belief that a successful sustainable society is a society which includes everyone.