If you want to be influential in the boardroom, foresight is essential. To do this, a director must anticipate the conversational direction and decision-making voices in a dynamic boardroom debate. To begin the process of becoming more influential, start with observing. Watch the actions of the directors during the board meeting, and ask yourself the following … [Read more...]
Approaches to Board Succession Planning
The combination of a company’s strategic and board succession plans can be a framework to begin the conversation around director search. Directors and management will most probably have differing ideas about what skills and experience should drive the search for the next director. To focus the conversation at the nominating committee level, here are a few approaches that … [Read more...]
The Board Candidate’s Guide to Networking
Great networkers have a variety of people they connect with on their professional journey. Some people have prestige and can open doors; others will be mentors and guide you with insightful commentary. Here are four key types of people to connect with and build your board-level network: 1. Foundation Foundational supporters run the gamut from friends to business peers. … [Read more...]
3 Ways For Women To Sound Like Leaders
I have been a voice expert helping professionals sound like leaders for 19 years. During that time, I have seen many well-intentioned articles, blog posts, books, television commentators, and radio hosts tackle the issue of the best way women should speak in the workplace. Let us stop for a moment of silence in praise of the women who have tried to follow all this advice. … [Read more...]
Future-Focused Board Succession Planning
Board succession is all about integrated thinking, foresight, and decision-making rationale. It is common practice for the governance committee to develop and maintain a matrix that outlines the skills, age, length of service, and background of each sitting director. A forward-thinking board looks at the next five to ten years and defines skills, experiences and overall … [Read more...]
Inquiring Minds Want to Know about Board Evaluations
Fundamentally, a board evaluation is an opportunity for boards as a collective body to increase their effectiveness based on feedback the evaluation provides. Continuous improvement and development of board and board committee processes and procedures is imperative to ensuring board effectiveness. Today, there is an increased level of acceptance and sophistication in board … [Read more...]
3 Networking Questions to be Ready to Answer as a Board Candidate
Many board candidates are attending high-level corporate governance conferences and educational events. They meet other directors and have the chance to develop relationships that may lead to being considered for a future board seat. The best way to connect with professionals in this audience is to give them a very good reason. If you fail to specifically state your value … [Read more...]
3 Critical Areas to Focus on Before Your First Board Meeting
Starting a new directorship means you may be confronted with a range of challenges. They might include getting to know a group of new people or an unknown culture. Since new directors lack a window to see into how a particular board works, here are few areas of focus to help create early success: Know the People Learn each director’s background and ask about their … [Read more...]
Is the Boardroom Your Career North Star?
If your career goals include a public company board seat, make the three lists discussed below to keep focused on your goal of becoming a director. This is a quick, easy way to keep your “North Star” priorities. Make time to update them monthly and stay on track. Win List This list includes new people you have met who are also on the journey to the boardroom. Maybe you shared … [Read more...]
How Small Businesses Fail
I recently had a conversation with a colleague about the way we disadvantage ourselves in business. Now I know this is a touchy subject but hear me out, I have something to say about this. As a minority business owner it’s really easy for me to assign blame and scream that it’s not fair but there’s no education in that. While I am not going to pretend that everything if … [Read more...]