Elephant Spotting: What To Do After Your Board Review is Complete

You have completed your Board Performance Review for the year and now need to consider next steps. Here are some tips to get real benefit from the process.

Are there any elephants left in the room?

Has the review highlighted the elephants in the room?

Or have they remained as sacred cows? Hidden, protected and an ongoing barrier to the Board being as effective as it might otherwise be.

Do Something

Do not put the findings in a drawer and forget about it until next year! You have invested time and money in this process so get something out of it.

The focus of a good Board Performance Review is on constructive feedback aimed to improve the performance of the Board and the Executive.

If nothing is wrong … you probably have a problem.

Even the most experienced Directors and Boards can improve their performance. If the outcome of a review is that nothing needs to change, it may be a sign of hubris, apathy or a lack of honest input into the review process.

If the process has been conducted internally, it may be time to introduce an external facilitator to bring a dash of objectivity to the process as an assurance check on the collective views of the Board.

Have the conversation

While the Chairman may be the owner of the Board Performance Review process, the outcomes and call to action must be owned by the Board as a whole. The best method of engagement is to have the candid, constructive and professional conversation about the outcomes of the review and the actions that are required.

Decide who owns the action plan

Accountability for the delivery of agreed actions should be agreed and progress reported to the Board on a regular basis. Decide whether the outcomes for the review are going to be shared with any other parties.

Posted in - Governance