Good Governance Needs Both Sides of the Table

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the relationship between 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀.

One thing I hear surprisingly often is:

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀.”

And I wonder how we shift that mindset.

Because the Board is there to 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿.

Their job is to govern. To 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 the organisation and the people doing the work.

When directors step up to the Board table, they take on significant responsibility and, sometimes, personal risk. Ultimately, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

So naturally, 𝗮 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

And a key job of operational staff is to help answer them.

Even better, anticipate those questions in your Board papers. Happy days for everyone!

What does the Board need to know? Why does it matter? What has changed? What are the risks? What do you need from them? Is there a decision to make?

And if your report is taken as read with no questions? Take it as a compliment. You must have written a pretty good report!

The Board brings 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 and that all important 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.

Operations brings the 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: what is actually happening, what is practical and what the consequences might be.

Good governance needs both.

Respecting the Board’s role doesn’t mean simply agreeing with them either. Ask them to explain the why. Respectfully challenge an assumption. Give them the operational context they might not have.

Sometimes the Board may still make a different call.

That’s their job.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁.

Perhaps the biggest shift is to stop seeing the Board as another layer of work and start seeing them as a 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀.

Get that relationship right and everyone does their job better.