Across the private, public and third sectors, organisations are seeking support from governance professionals to do more than ensure regulatory and legislative compliance. The boards aim to deliver and be recognised for delivering governance
Far from expecting instant engagement, it is important to work from a board’s current intentions and invest time and energy in developing collective understanding and commitment.
Some boards exist in name only at Companies House, signing annual documentation.
Other boards set their intention as compliance, investing little or nothing in a stewardship and governance agenda.
Boards with governance professional support are likely to develop frameworks, practices and codes to deliver compliance and governance.
Those boards with an intention to embed governance, recognise the significant investment of time and effort required to create and sustain common purpose and behaviour.
Working with Boards and Governance Professionals provides me with heart-warming insights into the contributions each make to building board effectiveness. Here are the three most frequently referenced ways in which they do so:
Boards
Value the independent professionalism of their governance support team beyond regarding them as a mechanistic function.
Invest time and energy to build a trusted relationship and ask for help.
Collaborate to co-create their governance framework, processes, practices and agendas.
Governance professionals
Anticipate issues and plan approaches to avoid repeat problem solving.
Enable their boards to ask the right questions and listen to a broad range of voices.
Enable better conversations between board members based on a real understanding of what each can contribute.
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