Board Matters International. Facilitation, Mentoring and Development
So you have carried out the evaluation of your Board and / or Senior Management. The findings documented as a baseline; but have you documented the action plan containing measurable goals that facilitate key business and effectiveness improvements?
Evaluations should not be for the sake of compliance rather, having invested the time and resource, the outcome should be measured by how more effective the Board becomes. As the key stewards of the Company, the Board must act on its baseline.
What do you see in the mirror? Is a healthy culture present at the top table? Do senior management feel empowered to share their ideas and concerns with the Board or not? Or, is good culture being expressed from the board to the rest of the organisation? Maybe there is a dominant presence? Is there a need for new blood at the table or are the skills present for the challenge at hand? Is there genuine diversity of thought present or does group think arise because the board membership all come from similar backgrounds and experiences?
Helping you think clearly
Leadership is not easy. Quality leaders understand and embrace continual development in an evolutionary business cycle; it’s what keeps winning companies ahead and is a key differentiator. Facilitation when done well leads to results. Development and mentoring is becoming increasingly important as tools in the directors arsenal; allowing you to remain individually effective in your board contribution.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FACILATION
A third party facilitator, doing their job well, will act in a manner that depersonalises the deeply challenging board conversation. They will tease out the issues and present them as observations arising from interaction. We find from our clients that the initial evaluation process is relatively straightforward but challenges arise when the findings are collated.
As part of the close out process prior to issuing a final report, Board Matters International will facilitate round table board discussion on draft findings, with the objective of ensuring that the content is accurate and accepted by the board members as a unit.
We also will facilitate meetings between the Chair and individual directors or provide a summary of key points as a basis for private meetings between them. Further, the information obtained during the evaluation can be summarised to assist the evaluation of the Chair either by the senior Independent Director or by us as external evaluators. As a board, you can tailor the evaluation to suit your requirements.
So, with all the findings agreed, agreeing the action plan should be straightforward. Well, it is more difficult than often acknowledged. The directors may broadly agree the findings, but both individual interpretation and priority of issues at hand can often prove problematic.
Consequently, the board Chair needs to be clear in focus and lead the board to the appropriate conclusions. As part of the facilitation process, Board Matters International acts as an honest mirror to ensure that the board and its Chair can and does complete an agreed action plan that has clear and measurable goals for achievement with owners and timelines. There is nothing more frustrating than lack of clarity in outcome.
TRAINING, MENTORING AND DEVELOPMENT
As mentioned elsewhere on this site, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to be an effective director; you have so much compliance, regulatory, legal, risk and administration to pay attention to that consumes increasing amounts of time; all set against the backdrop of dynamic market conditions that require business and strategic acumen. With so much going on, often it is difficult for the director to be clear and focused on appropriate priorities.
At Board Matters International, we see through our work the constant need for continual professional development provision for all board members, to enhance skill and keep up to date. Further, we see benefit for external mentoring of some directors, particularly the executive, to help bring out their best performance while providing a sounding board, advice and perspective. We see these points more often than not arising on action plans from board evaluations (not just the ones we facilitate) and it is something you cannot ignore if effectiveness is at the heart of what you are.
THE BENEFITS OF FACILITATION
- Provides an independent mechanism to help resolve difficult matters arising
- The directors can enter into full, honest and frank dialogue while the facilitator ensures that all matters are addressed and concluded
- It saves time and money and increases productivity
- Also reduces destructive conflict
THE BENEFITS OF MENTORING AND DEVELOPMENT
- A means to obtain experience and perspective
- An effective sounding board to challenge thinking and develop new ideas
- Provides access to experiences from other environments
- Low bandwidth consuming and economic
- Enhances skills relative to the Boards future challenges
WHY BOARD MATTERS INTERNATIONAL?
- Our firm is comprised of experienced Directors who sit on Boards.
- Our partners and associates have a track record of developing training and mentoring programmes, also including developing and delivering courses in academic and professional environments
- Through the experience and development of Quinn Associates, Board Matters International has a track record of delivery for over 10 years
- We are a discreet firm who partner with our clients in a low key manner
- Our partners and associates have experience in multiple sectors and have held the full range of executive offices
- As a derivative service from our core evaluation offering, we can tailor the service to the specific requirement arising from the evaluation, maximising benefits.
For a confidential discussion of your requirements, contact us today
