Board Shorts Podcast

The board-CEO relationship is one that requires ongoing work to maintain optimal dynamics and desired outcomes. There are two perspectives to consider regarding where problems may originate. But, like with any relationship, 'it takes two to tango', so each side shares equal responsibility in keeping the board–CEO relationship firing on all cylinders.

I share 14 of the main root causes of where the board–CEO relationship can go wrong, from both sides of the table. And, of course, practical suggestions on how they can be managed, overcome, or avoided.

• Creating & Sustaining a High-Performance Board (Webinar Replay + Whitepaper): https://www.boardpro.com/resource-centre/webinars/creating-sustaining-high-performance-boards

• Leading Up and Down: the Dynamic Relationship Between the Board and CEO (Article): https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/leading-up-and-down-the-dynamic-relationship-between-the-board-and-ceo/

• Four Documents Supporting the Board-CEO Relationship (Article): https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/four-documents-supporting-the-board-ceo-relationship/

• The Keys to a Thriving Board-CEO Relationship | Ep. 68 (Podcast): https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/the-keys-to-a-thriving-chair-ceo-relationship-with-jerry-kleeman-ep-68/

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/where-the-board-ceo-relationship-can-go-wrong-ep-69/

I've invited a very special guest back to the podcast for this conversation; my husband Jerry Kleeman. Jerry is uniquely qualified to talk on this episode's topic; he works extensively with CEOs (both business owners and hired guns), many of whom have a board to which they report.

Often, Jerry helps his CEO clients work with and manage their Board, and in particular, their board Chair. Jerry shares his insights from his 20 years of working with SME CEOs to dissect the ideal Chair-CEO relationship; know how to build the relationship using shared principles; create a regular Chair-CEO one-to-one agenda; identify where problems in the relationship manifest; and what to do if the Chair isn't the best person to work closely with the CEO.

Questions I asked Jerry

• Describe the ideal Chair-CEO relationship; what does it look and feel like for both parties?
• What does a regular Chair-CEO one-to-one agenda cover?
• Does the Chair act as a coach or mentor to the CEO?
• Where do problems in the Chair-CEO relationship usually manifest?
• Where can a Chair or CEO begin to establish a solid relationship?
• What if the Chair isn't the best person on the board to work closely with the CEO; What would you recommend?

Connect with Jerry LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrykleemanbetterleaders/

Website: https://www.jerrykleeman.com/

Full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/the-keys-to-a-thriving-chair-ceo-relationship-with-jerry-kleeman-ep-68/

A question that I am frequently asked by business owners and leaders is how do I put a board together? Of course, I have some recommendations about this; however, sometimes it pays to have an expert advisor – someone who literally wrote the book on it – to give a considered and comprehensive answer to this question. And this is a conversation not only for business owners looking to build their board; it's also beneficial for aspiring board members to understand so that they can better position themselves for these opportunities. The book I am referring to is 'Build Your Board, Build Your Business' and the author is Barbara Clarke.

Barbara and I discuss when it's time to start putting your board together; what are the motivations behind building a board; How to know when you need: A board or board member? An advisor? An employee? Or Something else? What the difference is between an advisory board and a governance board and when you need one or the other.

Barbara also shares her ANCHOR model for building your board. We close the conversation focusing on people who want to get on boards and how they position themselves for the boards that these business owners are wanting to build.

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/build-your-board-build-your-business-with-barbara-clarke-ep-67

How do you write a board resume? Where do you start? What information do you put into it? I answer all of these questions for you and break down the board resume structure to give you some insights into the process, what boards are looking for and expecting from your resume, and small tweaks that can make a big difference and help you stand out from the crowd.

This information will help you feel a little less overwhelmed and a lot more confident as you begin writing your board resume.

LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE

Five Steps to Build Your Board Resume Course: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/five-steps-to-build-your-board-resume/

Article: Five Things to Consider about your Board Resume Referees https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/five-things-to-consider-about-your-board-resume-referees/

Podcast: Episode #53 Five Common Board Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/five-common-board-resume-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them-ep-53/

Find the show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/breaking-down-the-board-resume-ep-66/

Steve Bowman and I answer a series of questions submitted by the BoardPro community as part of a recent webinar that we participated in (find the replay here: https://www.boardpro.com/resource-centre/webinars/qa-everything-governance).

Submit your question for a future Board Shorts Podcast episode: https://bit.ly/BoardShortsQuestion

Questions

(06:02 - Ateel) What is the fine line [for the Board getting involved] in appointing Office Staff - e.g Business managers, Front office staff. Is it an operational matter? What are your thoughts?

(11:28 - Michelle) What do you like to see in a board pack? How much before the meeting do you like to receive it? And how do you encourage people to read the board packs before each board meeting?

(23:44 - Annette) We are currently making changes to our Agenda Template. Looking for information on best practice Agenda layout and specifically how to relate agenda items to the Strategic Plan.

(41:18 - David) How can we make time for digital, to deeply incorporate this into both strategy and risk? Digital transformation and cybersecurity can easily be crowded out of the agenda by short-term operational issues, and there's only so much time/attention when small organisations have several board meetings per year.

About Steven Bowman Steven Bowman is a governance expert and seasoned Board adviser, with a great depth of experience and skill in facilitating Board reviews and the strategic planning process. He has held numerous senior executive, CEO and Board positions in the USA and Australia, and has authored and co-authored over 14 books on governance, strategy, risk and executive leadership.

Steven has built a reputation around the world as an adviser who empowers his clients by offering multiple perspectives on any given challenge.

Connect with Steven Conscious Governance TV: https://www.consciousgovernancetv.com/conscious-governance-tv-home

Conscious Governance Moments: https://www.consciousgovernancetv.com/podcasts/conscious-governance-moments

Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbowmangovernance

Thanks to our sponsor BoardPro Visit boardpro.com/boardshorts and use the promo code boardshorts (all one word, lowercase) to get a 30-day free trial AND 20% off the price of your first year on any plan.

Structural and personal issues culminate to create a demand problem on boards for diverse candidates. Board diversity – or lack of board diversity – is not a supply problem. It's a demand problem. More programs targeted at "fixing" diverse cohorts are not going to increase demand to meet the rate of supply. Actions need to be taken by boards to unlock demand to pull diverse candidates into the system. It's not the aspiring and diverse board candidate who is the problem. You don't need fixing before being board ready.

Yes, educate yourself on the requirements of a board member, but do not see it as the golden ticket into the boardroom. And, for each board-readiness program aimed at a diverse cohort, demand a similar education program for boards themselves.

Ask, how are you also increasing demand for this diverse cohort? Like the economy, the board economy is two-sided (supply and demand), so let's treat it that way. I share four ideas for boards to unlock the demand for diverse board candidates.

Full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/you-are-not-the-problem-and-what-boards-can-do-about-it-ep-64/

I frequently receive comments from Board Talk community members asking for help on how they can find their voice in the boardroom and build powerful boardroom presence. Here is what people are concerned about: "Confidence to speak up with my ideas around the board table. Often if I decide to keep an idea to myself another board member will suggest what I was thinking! Lost opportunity for me." "I self-doubt if I'm good enough professionally to do this compared to the many amazingly credentialed people out there." "How do I avoid falling into groupthink" "As a female on an all-male Board - all experienced and good people, how to be me and how to be better." "Diversity and being heard as the minority view." "Finding my voice and feeling like I am worthy of my position at the table. Being fairly new to this kind of work, it's fascinating but I feel afraid to use my voice sometimes." "Getting over imposter syndrome." "How to influence outcomes in authentic ways." If you feel the same, this conversation with Tamsin Simounds will give you some ideas and tools to help you find your voice, confidence, and presence in the boardroom.

We cover building confidence to speak up and share your ideas, minimising self-doubt; the role you can play in avoiding groupthink; bringing a diverse voice to the boardroom; ways to find your voice and feel like a valued and valuable board member; getting over imposter syndrome; and how to influence outcomes in authentic ways. I share some of my boardroom beginner blunders (there's been many) and reassure you that being a beginner is OK and is valuable in itself!

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/finding-your-voice-in-the-boardroom-with-tamsin-simounds-ep-63/

Connect with Tamsin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamsinkate/ or via her website: https://www.tamsinsimounds.com/

How do I know what I have to offer a board? What should I include in my board resume? What do boards care about from board candidates? How do I sell myself to boards? I share a process that you can follow to answer these, and similar, questions you have as you embark on your board journey.

I explain how to effectively research and unearth the common/universal attributes desired from all board candidates, and the specific expertise, experience, skills, knowledge, and/or other attributes desired from board candidates on a particular board or at a particular time. I then teach you how to incorporate this information into your board resume (with examples) and into your personal development plan. At the end, you will have a clear path forward on your board journey.

Links Mentioned in Episode: Articles on Setting a Board Goal: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/?s=board+goal

Board Shorts Podcast Episode 49: Setting and calibrating your board goal(s) https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/setting-and-calibrating-your-board-goals-ep-49/

Articles on Defining your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/?s=unique+value+proposition

Article: What do boards want? https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/what-do-boards-want/

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/positioning-for-a-board-role-ep-62/

Professor Miranda Brawn shares her work on The Brawn Review: Boardroom Sustainability, Inclusion and Corporate Governance, and The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, along with the outcomes she is working towards through each of these initiatives.

Our conversation spans diversity, sustainability, and inclusion, particularly as it applies to the boardroom; the role that boards play in improving their and their organisation's diversity, sustainability, and inclusion; why there hasn't been faster progress in board diversity despite the many programs and initiative available; and how diverse individuals can put themselves forward for leadership roles, particularly board roles.

If you want to participate in The Brawn Review survey, reach out to Professor Brawn via https://www.keble.ox.ac.uk/people/miranda-brawn/ before 16 December 2022.

For the full show notes visit: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/inclusion-and-sustainability-in-the-boardroom-introducing-the-brawn-review-ep-61/

If you're on a board, there's a very high likelihood that you have had many discussions about your organisation's policies and procedures. And rightly so, they are the board's remote control throughout the organisation, helping to ensure that things are done in the way that the board considers appropriate and, in some instances, necessary. Creating, checking, updating, and approving policies and procedures is something that I have spent many committee and board meetings – and time in between meetings – working on. This is time well invested; however, it's only a third of the picture.

The other two-thirds are

(1) implementing the policy or procedure, and

(2) checking in that the policy or procedure is being followed and the outcomes of it are what were intended.

It's this final third of your organisation's operations that my conversation today is focused on: making sure all of those policies and procedures are being following as required so that they the desired outcomes are realised. Whether it's risk reduction or mitigation, maintaining quality, legislative compliance, or safeguarding financial assets, there needs to be someone checking in that the rules are being followed. That person is usually referred to as an internal auditor.

And I have one with me on this episode; Peter Francis is the Managing Director of Aceia, a professional services firm specialising in internal audit and risk management across Australia and New Zealand.

Peter has over 25 years of experience in risk and internal audit; doing that job that many are more than willing to hand over to someone who – as you will hear – believes it's sexy! Peter is an accountant by education, is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, so he knows his stuff.

Peter and I discuss what exactly internal audit is, how and why an organisation engages with an external internal auditor, and the impetus for why a Board may want to introduce internal audit activity and the value (and assurances) it will bring. I hope by the end of this conversation you get as excited over internal audit as Peter is!

Or at least understand the value in bringing in someone like Peter to support the Board in its risk management role.

Aceia: https://aceia.com.au/

Peter Francis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-francis-44222a3/

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/internal-auditing-and-assurance-what-is-it-and-why-your-board-needs-it-ep-60/