The latest edition of the Australian Company Director magazine quotes a senior board chair describing how the role has evolved in recent years: For the mathematically challenged, I think she’s saying that a board chair today has about eight times the typical workload an NED had, only a few years ago. People unfamiliar with theContinue reading “Four times twice as much: how the Chair’s job has grown.”
Tag Archives: #chairingtheboard
Ten minutes that will transform your (Zoom) board meetings
I’d guess that most of us have held more board meetings virtually than in person over the last 18 months. Remote meetings, still a rarity two years ago, are business as usual and here to stay. We’re learning how to make the most of them: To interpret non-verbal signals (aka body language) from only ourContinue reading “Ten minutes that will transform your (Zoom) board meetings“
The three levels of medalling, in board diversity
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”
When your board member is the subject expert: three hidden traps
How often do we hear boards discussing the type of skills they’d like to attract … ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had an engineer/micro-biologist/blockchain expert on the board?’ I’m fully in favour of making sure our boards have people with the right skills and experience for the business. We’ve all heard of corporate train-wrecksContinue reading “When your board member is the subject expert: three hidden traps”
Chairing in the Time of Physical Separation* – Six Tips for Chairing Remote Board Meetings
Chairing a board meeting is hard work and you feel tired at the end of it, right? I’m the same. It probably means you’re doing your job properly – actually your three jobs as chair: First, you’re managing the process of the meeting. To most people, this is your main role. Second, you’re still aContinue reading “Chairing in the Time of Physical Separation* – Six Tips for Chairing Remote Board Meetings”
The three things we talk about in Board-alone time, and two that we don’t
Some chairs tell me they don’t believe in board-alone time because it shows a lack of trust in the CEO. Others use it ‘as needed,’ if the chair or a board member calls for it. I don’t agree with the former, and I’ll explain why, but I can easily understand how the latter approach, ‘asContinue reading “The three things we talk about in Board-alone time, and two that we don’t”
Chairing the board 