BoardPro Podcasts

Is your board using its most effective tool?

The organisations we govern have responsibilities that require round the clock decision making. Boards can only make decisions when they convene formally for board meetings.

Do we expect our staff to sit around waiting for us to turn up to make everyday kinds of decisions? Of course not, and so, we have to delegate authority to them to act on our behalf when the board is not in session.

When we delegate to our chief executive, do we give them a blank cheque to make whatever choices take their fancy? No, we don’t do that either! We give ‘policy’ guidance which fully realised is a very effective and necessary form of ‘remote control device’ but far too often neglected by boards of all kinds.

Your board is the ultimate decision-making group for your organisation. Board members are rightfully asked to address and take responsibility for the most complex matters you will ever face. 

Diversity of Thought adds value when facing complexity. Boards should therefore aspire to a higher level of Diversity of Thought than other organisational groups. This requires boards to consider their composition based on Diversity of Thought, alongside the typical skills, experience and representative diversity 

It's governance, but not as you know it!

A fit-for-purpose startup board provides a great platform for supercharging your growth – but early stage boards can be scary for founders and directors.

Join us to discover how experienced startup directors operate, and what you should be looking for when you form your company’s first board. We’ll talk through the value of having a board early on, and where that board should focus its time and attention to support the business. 

No plan survives contact with reality!

The best strategy is one where there is a fearless discussion with directors and senior executives about what's not working and what we have missed. 

Join us for insights on to how to use each Board meeting as a mini-review of the strategic plan and strengthen the strategic focus of the Board (and possibly making your Board meetings shorter).

And techniques for an annual review (also short and focused with the Board and senior executive) which can be both an opportunity to reflect on the strategies, and a great induction opportunity for new Directors.

Develop your organisation's strategic development roadmap

Strategy is about having a clear focus on the future you are trying to create, being aware of different future possibilities, understanding the current environment, analysing what this means to your organisation, and then choosing what needs to be done based on this analysis, in advance of needing to act.

As a board member of an SME or Nonprofit, preparing for the upcoming board meeting, you have lots of information to review and want to get to the important stuff quickly!

You don’t want to be nine pages in and still wondering if the new marketing program is delivering results. Nor do you want to be forced to search old minutes for the performance targets you agreed to. Unfortunately, with poorly structured and unfocused CEO reports this sort of scenario is all too common. It’s frustrating!!

Wouldn’t it be great if the first pages of the CEO’s report provided a concise summary of the business’ performance and needs, then it clearly outlined the key areas you need to prepare for? It would certainly reduce some of your frustrations and make things easier going to the next meeting.

Good news for SME’s and Nonprofits! Producing a CEO Report that delights the board, is very achievable, with a few key principles you will learn from this podcast.

We have already noted that the board’s job is a thinking one. As a group and as individuals the board must be committed to learning. The board needs skills of active and purposeful inquiry. The best directors maintain open minds on issues always searching for new information. None of this happens by accident. To mold the board into a genuine learning entity needs effort and some planning. Here we cover some basic steps to assist.

The meeting is where governance actually happens. Only the board as a group can make decisions. Sadly too often the precious time is poorly spent, focussing on things that have already happened or reviewing management busyness. The board’s role is to create the future not mind the shop and in the meeting is where that happens. We look at how to structure your meeting and your years work to ensure that the board is focused in the right places