Nobody’s born a director. We don’t grow into being a governor, the way we do with walking, talking, parenting, or making a success of a job.
Becoming an effective director requires a range of technical, social and communication skills, contributing as one of a group, rather than as individuals.
Over the years, I’ve found that a few things – ways we approach the role – typically aren’t taught, but can make a huge difference …
Do you recognise this board? Directors arrive shortly before the scheduled start; you take your places, open your board packs and work your way through the agenda, item by item; as the chair closes the meeting, you shut your pack, gather your iPad and phone, and head to the taxi. Other than exchanging a fewContinue reading “Before the main course – “
Has Air New Zealand’s market strategy changed – or is it simply now more obvious? I’ll start by saying that I have been a relatively frequent, usually satisfied, flyer with Air New Zealand for a long time (my Frequent Flyer number has five digits and I’ve accumulated 14 ‘banked years’ of membership). In the lastContinue reading “The shift we’ve been expecting in Air New Zealand’s strategy?”
Over that inspiring fortnight of distraction, the Tokyo Olympics, two new verbs have joined the mainstream, as in ‘I can’t believe we’ve medalled … we were only aiming to podium at the next Games.’ As those verbs have entrenched themselves in the sports lexicon, so ‘diversity’ has become possibly the most discussed, most abused and most poorly understood term inContinue reading “The three levels of medalling, in board diversity”
Many people better qualified than me have taken to the ramparts to protest this loss of New Zealand’s only serious music channel and I imagine some Ministers are receiving a lot of feedback. But I do have many years of experience sitting in boardrooms, asking hard questions and formulating corporate strategies. So I’ve taken aContinue reading “Radio New Zealand and the Ansoff Matrix”
Chairing the board