From the Boardroom to the Break Room - Embedding Governance in Daily Practice

At Freshcare, we’ve come to understand that governance shouldn’t be confined to the boardroom. If we’re serious about transparency, accountability, and integrity, then governance must live in the daily decisions, actions, and culture of the whole organisation—not just in formal reports or annual reviews.

We’re not there yet—but we’re on the journey. Over the past three years, we’ve made a deliberate effort to embed governance principles across our team. We’ve seen real progress, but we’re still learning, refining, and adapting. This article shares how we’re approaching this work, what’s made a difference, what remains in progress, and why it matters not only to us, but to the industry we serve.

Starting Point: Good on Paper, Disconnected in Practice

Like many organisations, we had a solid foundation of governance frameworks: board policies, financial oversight, structured reporting. But in practice, governance felt like something that lived “up there”—with the board and executive. Staff didn’t see how their roles linked to governance, and compliance wasn’t part of the conversation unless something went wrong.

We realised that to deliver excellence, we needed to close the gap between board-level expectations and day-to-day operations. Governance had to be seen not as a task, but as a culture.

Making Governance Everyone’s Business

Our first step was to make governance accessible and relevant to all staff. We introduced annual governance training for the whole team. The content covers key concepts: obligations under the Constitution, managing conflicts of interest, keeping accurate minutes, and understanding delegations of authority.

The training is practical, using relatable examples tied to everyday roles. It’s helped establish a shared language and made governance feel less like a formal concept and more like a practical tool for better decision-making.

Connecting Governance and Compliance

One of the most valuable shifts has been showing how governance and compliance work together. Governance is the system—it sets the framework for decisions, accountability, and oversight. Compliance is how we meet those expectations, both internally (policies, processes) and externally (laws, regulations, certification standards).

Think of it this way:

Governance builds the road. Compliance keeps the vehicle on it.

At Freshcare, governance ensures that roles are clear, decisions are transparent, and risks are monitored. Compliance lives within that framework—through quarterly assurance reports, policy reviews, and audit tracking. This helps our team understand that compliance isn’t a burden; it’s an outcome of doing things the right way.

Embedding Governance Behaviours

To reinforce this culture, we started mirroring board-level practices in our day-to-day work. We made it simple and practical. Here are a few examples:

• Every meeting has an agenda. Whether it’s a 15-minute check-in or a strategic planning session, an agenda is required. No agenda? No meeting.
• Pre-reading is circulated at least five days in advance for key meetings, giving everyone time to prepare and contribute meaningfully.
• A chair and minute-taker are assigned for every meeting. Minutes aren’t just recorded—they’re shared, with action items tracked and reviewed at the next meeting.
• Internal reports follow a consistent format aligned with our board structure. This improves readability, helps clarify decisions, and prepares staff for more senior responsibilities.

We’ve also introduced a quarterly Assurance Report. This is not written solely by the executive team. Instead:

• Staff from across the organisation contribute content that reflects their area of responsibility.
• Each section links operational activities with compliance obligations and key risk areas.
• The report is shared with the board to provide real-time visibility into how compliance is being addressed across the business.

This approach has:

• Built shared ownership
• Increased clarity for the board
• Reduced the risk of issues being overlooked

The system is still evolving, but it’s already reshaping how governance is understood and applied throughout the organisation.

Why It Matters to Our Members

Embedding governance and compliance isn’t just about internal effectiveness. It’s also about our commitment to more than 4670 growers, supply chain partners and participating businesses Australia-wide, who rely on Freshcare.

Strong governance helps us:

• Respond quickly and transparently to industry and regulatory changes
• Maintain impartiality and protect the integrity of our standards
• Ensure consistency and confidence in certification processes
• Build long-term trust through clear, ethical operations

For our members, this means certainty. It means knowing that the system they depend on is credible, responsive, and continually improving. Our internal alignment reinforces our external promise.

Lessons and What’s Next

Our journey is ongoing, but we’ve learned a few important lessons:

• Start with behaviours, not documents
• Keep reporting useful and relevant
• Reinforce governance in day-to-day leadership
• Use governance as a tool to build internal capability

Looking ahead, we’re continuing to strengthen our meeting discipline, clarify delegations, improve risk reporting, and explore ways to recognise compliance leadership across the team.

A Culture of Shared Accountability

Governance isn’t a set-and-forget exercise. It’s a way of working. At Freshcare, we’re committed to embedding it not only into our frameworks but into our culture. We still have work to do, but each small shift is helping build a stronger, more aligned organisation—one where governance isn’t just about oversight, but about integrity, trust, and impact at every level.

This article was first published in the 2025 Better Boards Conference Magazine.

Further Reading

The Essential Principles of Workplace Culture

Nurturing Organisational Health

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) for Not-for-Profit Organisations

Reshaping the Board’s Role in Organisational Culture

The Discipline in Developing a Winning Culture

Board Culture CPR