BoardPro Podcasts – Details, episodes & analysis

Learn how to run a lower stress process to produce an engaging annual operating plan.
An annual operating plan is a prized document. It's the blueprint for building your organisation in any given year. You wouldn’t build a house without architectural drawings. Unfortunately, many small to medium businesses or non-profit CEO’s run their organisation's with only a sketch of what they are building.

This webinar is aimed at CEOs of commercial and not for profit organisations with revenues between $1M and $40M and a functioning management/leadership team (i.e., 3+ managers) who don’t have a strong track record of strategic and operational planning. 

Join us for our enlightening webinar, 'How to think differently about whole of business governance’, where Dr Dean Blomson and our expert panel will be guiding us through an exploration of business governance design.

This webinar is designed to explore governance beyond the confines of the boardroom, into and across the business entity (whether for-profit or not-for-profit; whether listed or public). If boards are to be effective in their governance, then the systems, processes, and structures of the business itself need to be properly designed and reliably managed. Board systems don’t or shouldn’t exist in a parallel universe from the organisation itself (although often it seems like they do). 

Dean, supported by the panel, will delve into why it is crucial for any organisation to develop a business-wide governance model that doesn’t necessarily start with the board and its requirements but ultimately supports these effectively and efficiently. Dean will touch on his research into enterprise governance design, plus his prior BoardPro presentation from 5 September (“Bespoke governance”: How to determine if your governance is fit-for-purpose). 

Explore using skill matrixes to ensure effective director succession planning and onboarding. Understand how to identify the right competencies, balance the board’s collective expertise, and plan for future needs.

In today’s business world, boards must be agile, diverse, and prepared for future challenges. A skill matrix is a powerful tool that helps boards evaluate their current capabilities, identify gaps, and ensure they have the right mix of skills for long-term success.

This webinar will guide you through creating and utilising a skill matrix for director succession planning and onboarding. We will cover key elements such as identifying essential skills, assessing current directors, and planning for strategic recruitment and training.

While minutes often feature in-jokes about board performance (for example, ‘boards take minutes and waste hours’), they are no laughing matter. Board meetings are an essential component of an organisation’s decision-making process. The record (minutes) of the conduct of those meetings is a direct indication of the quality of a board’s administration.

For various reasons, the quality of the minutes and the protection of their integrity, once approved and signed off, are treated with considerable gravity. Boards should pay closer attention to both the recording and approval of their minutes than is often the case.

Download the topic whitepaper

According to directors, the CEO report is the most important document in the board pack and it’s their go-to doc. However, most organisations struggle with it and very few get it right. 

Why? Because there are many pitfalls to avoid and it can get tricky. CEOs who are pressed for time often assume that everything the board members need can be found in the team’s documents. 

It’s also not uncommon for CEOs to believe that it’s frustrating for directors to read a document that duplicates what has already been laid out in the board pack. For these reasons, CEOs don’t always think it’s necessary to write a report. 

They think they can just verbally say what they need or provide bullet points. However, that’s not enough. When CEO reports are done well, they provide chief executives with opportunities for reflection and it allows them to tap into the expertise because it answers many questions. 

For one, CEO reports give board members insight into what’s on the CEOs’ mind, which is something the board needs to be truly effective and benefit the organisation as much as possible. 

Traditional Board induction packs can leave new Directors disengaged (even before they begin). This can be challenging especially if you want them to reach their potential quickly but don’t have the time to coach them personally through this transition.

Imagine if...

• All the Directors who undertook your Board induction were confident and prepared at their first meeting.
• Each of your new Directors was asking the right questions, reading and participating in all Board papers and discussions.
• All new Directors were enthusiastic about their tenure, and brought fresh insights to the table, even if they are volunteers with little to no formal experience.

Download the topic whitepaper

Board meeting cycles are the lifeblood of the work of the Board. Individual Board meetings are where most of the discussion and ultimately decisions are made and are therefore the most important mechanism that the Board has at its disposal. The authority of the Board arises from its collective nature, which necessitates meetings to address the collective decision making. 

In many instances, Board schedules are treated as an agreed set of dates that the Board will meet, with little or no thought given to the larger strategic issue of the specific focus for each of those Board meetings. As the most important tool of the Board, meeting cycles require more advance planning and alignment with the strategic, risk, governance and operational requirements of the organisation. The role of Board committees also needs to be reviewed and integrated into the Board meeting cycle. Gone are the days when Board committees met just prior to the Board meeting, as it was convenient for all concerned. 

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