Develop a CEO Report structure that works for your SME or Nonprofit

Once targets have been clearly defined, the CEO should be able to produce a report that clearly and easily gives the board the information they need. As a rule, the first two pages should be enough for board members to gather a broad understanding of the position of the business, without having to read any further. 

A New Paradigm

Historically, corporate governance was primarily concerned with fiduciary responsibilities and compliance. Boards often consisted of uniform groups of individuals with similar backgrounds, experiences, and worldviews. While this homogeneity may have supported unity and seamless decision-making, it also led to a restricted perspective, causing overlooked opportunities and stagnation.

As we ventured into the 21st century, the business world started to face new and intricate challenges that demanded more multifaceted and nuanced decision-making. In this complex environment, diversity quickly surfaced as an essential component of competent governance.

In the early days, the initial push often centred around demographic representation, especially gender, as many countries faced severe imbalances, with women significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. As businesses expanded globally, the need for cultural and international perspectives became more pronounced, leading to broader definitions of diversity. Governments and regulatory bodies began to intervene, establishing guidelines, regulations, or even quotas in some countries to promote diversity. With growing social consciousness, businesses began to recognise diversity as an ethical imperative and a strategic advantage, rather than just a compliance issue.

Shareholder activism also played a crucial role. Investors started to exert their influence, utilising tools like shareholder resolutions, proxy voting, and direct engagement with corporations to foster change.

The pursuit of board diversity is not just a fleeting trend but a vital part of modern corporate governance. It's a journey that requires understanding, commitment, and action from all stakeholders. By embracing diversity in its fullest sense, corporations can not only enhance their performance but also contribute to a more equitable and inclusive world.

Your Board Papers are vitally important. They prepare the board for the decisions that must be made and provide the board with the information they need to discharge their duty of oversight. Of all the Board Papers the CEO report is probably the most important.

Experienced directors will turn to and read this paper first. It sets the context for every other paper in the pack.

As such, it's a wonderful opportunity to prepare your board to be totally effective during the upcoming meeting.

However, many CEOs struggle, when faced with the tyranny of a blank screen, to put down their thoughts in a compelling and clear fashion that will engage the board and help to prepare them for a highly effective meeting.

Ideally your board report should serve two purposes:

1. to inform the board of the key changes that have occurred during the period since the last board meeting
2. to engage the board in providing advice and assistance to the CEO

Whilst many CEO reports do a good job with the first objective, most CEOs struggle with the second simply because they do not wish to put on record the areas that they are finding difficult. But here’s the problem, directors find it hard to read a report that is packed with information but that has no call to action or stimulus for creative thinking. Directors greatly prefer a report that has something in it for them to do.

Let’s look at each function in turn. And then let’s explore some tips to help you write quickly, effectively, and succinctly.

Unlock the Secret to Continual Board Strategy Refresh: Webinar Replay Now Available with Steven Bowman FAICD, Georgia Henry GAICD, and Richard McLean

Are you a Board member, senior executive, or someone deeply involved in strategic planning? Then, you can't afford to miss the replay of our recent webinar: "How to Continually Refresh Your Annual Board Strategy."

Why Watch the Replay?

Gain insights from some of Australasia's leading experts in business strategic planning and governance.

Learn how to use each Board meeting as a mini-strategy review, making your meetings not only more effective but possibly even shorter.

Discover techniques for running an annual review that serves as both a reflective exercise and an excellent induction opportunity for new Directors.

Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ No Plan Survives Contact With Reality: Understand the importance of fearless discussion with directors and senior executives about what's working and what isn't.

2️⃣ Focused Half-Day Strategy Review: Learn how to run an effective and focused half-day strategy review that can revolutionize your approach to strategic planning.

3️⃣ Strengthen Strategic Focus: Take away practical tips on how to reinforce the strategic orientation of your Board, ensuring that the organization stays agile and aligned with its mission.

Watch the Replay here https://boardpro.wistia.com/medias/owulzrbkal

Don't miss this chance to elevate your Board's strategic planning process! Share this with anyone who might find it useful.

Live Demonstration of board AI tools

In this highly practical session you will gain an overview of AI tools relevant to those serving on Boards. Through a live demonstration, you'll see firsthand how AI-powered tools can revolutionise your Board operations and enhance the effectiveness of your Board members.

Gain valuable insights and walk away equipped with actionable knowledge, ready to implement these tools immediately after the session.

Working too hard, doing too much, being too busy, is not a new thing: it can be dated back as far as 400 BC and Socrates, quoted as saying “beware the barrenness of a busy life”.  

There seems to be something inherent in the human DNA that has us think, feel and act busy. And we’re now grappling with unfettered activity-on-steroids, with our always-on internet-connected environment, turbo charged by COVID.

This is no more evident than in workplaces – and New Zealand workplaces are no exception. 

Learn from three of Australasia's top board secretaries why the preparation of board minutes is a vital component of directors’ responsibilities, and what good minutes contain.  

Includes: Bonus minute taking guide, and minutes template for attendees.

Are you taking the preparation of your minutes seriously and do you know why you should?

Inquiries into organisational misdeeds and collapses invariably point to the shortcoming in board meeting minutes that might otherwise have explained and justified the decisions directors had taken. That scenario underlines only one of the reasons for the importance of having a thorough record of the board’s deliberations.

Todays article demystifies the art of creating an effective skills-based board for organizations. Whether you're for-profit, for-purpose, or something else entirely, a well-constructed board skills matrix can be a game-changer. The article delves into what to include in this matrix, from hard skills to emotional intelligence and even diversity attributes. It addresses common questions like how to measure and survey board members, and crucially, how to leverage the matrix for positive organizational outcomes. The piece is a comprehensive guide to setting up, assessing, and optimizing a board that not only serves your current needs but also anticipates future challenges and opportunities. If you're involved in board development or governance, this is a must-read for you.

Do your meetings tend to get unfocussed or off-track, or are they a sound use of time, focusing on strategic items that move your organisation forward?
Provide your directors with clarity on what they should do with each paper, and reduce the amount of time wasted on ineffectual discussions. 

Key Takeaways

There are only 11 (or so) opportunities for your board members to come together for their cyclical board meeting in a year. This webinar will help you;

• To see how a strategic agenda can be constructed with ease
• Learn how to keep your board focused 
• Minimise the amount of unnecessary information going to your board

In this podcast, you will learn how to create a concise and coherent strategic board meeting agenda.

• The article discusses how to get a good Return on Attendance (ROA) from conferences that board members attend.
• The first step is to decide on the criteria for board attendance at any face-to-face event. This could include factors such as the relevance of the event to the organization, the quality of the speakers, and the opportunity for networking.
• Once the criteria have been established, board members who want to attend a conference need to clearly state their reasons for wanting to go and what they hope to achieve. They should also commit to sharing what they learn at the conference with the rest of the board.
• Board members should also make sure to arrive on time for events and sit near the front of the room. They should also be proactive in networking with other attendees and asking questions.
• After the conference, board members should take some time to summarize their notes and share them with the rest of the board. They should also follow up with any contacts they made at the conference.