5 Guaranteed Ways to Rev-up Your Board in 2021
More of the same won’t drive transformation: You need to do different things and do things differently. Here are 5 guaranteed ways to increase your board’s ability to make a difference to your company’s performance and the world in general:
1. Train your board — you can’t hope to play a winning game if your team members don’t know the rules or understand how best to play together.
2. Stop talking about ‘digital transformation’ and concentrate on making digital progress — that train is departing the platform and if you don’t run know you will miss it.
3. Get informed about your executive leadership team — know what each of the CEO’s direct reports is responsible for and how you will support and measure their success.
4. See the company through the eyes of your stakeholders — are you a good employer, are your products sustainable and fit for purpose at acceptable prices, are you a good citizen, are you a great investment, etc.?
5. Align everything to your company’s core purpose — if it detracts from the purpose root it out or change it (no matter how profitable in the short term).
If you are wondering how to start to make a better impact in 2021 you might find this diagnostic helpful: https://directorsdilemma.scoreapp.com/
Julie Garland McLellan is a professional company director and corporate governance consultant. She is the author of the “Director’s Dilemma” newsletter, “Presenting to Boards”, “Not-For-Profit Board Dilemmas: Practical Case Studies for Directors in the Non-Profit Sector”, “Dilemmas, Dilemmas” and “All above Board: Great Governance for the Government Sector”. Julie undertakes board and director appraisals that drive improvements and better company performance; her in-boardroom and on-line education is characterised by a practical approach using real-life scenarios to build rich interactive learning experiences. She facilitates difficult meetings with tact and vigour; her guidance behind the scenes has helped many boards, CEOs and chairmen to turn difficult situations into successful outcomes.