Is that a dumb phone?

“The mere presence of your phone affects cognitive capacity” says Dr Adrian Ward, of the University of Texas. In a study, he and his team asked participants to learn something and then tested them. “We had people come in with their phone, then put it on the desk or in their bag. The closer the phone was, the worse they did, even if they weren’t using it.”

The AFR this morning reported on a survey of 12,500 people that showed 68 per cent lost track of a television programme after checking their mobile phones. It’s not just our ability to enjoy our favourite shows that’s being affected by our screen habits. A growing body of evidence suggests smartphone and tablet addiction is wrecking attention spans, navigational skills and long-term memories.

So does your board have a policy about phone use in meetings? Should it? What might your company achieve if not for the cost of inattentive distracted directors?

Is it time to train your board?

Julie Garland McLellan is a boardroom trends forecaster, experienced company director and professional conference speaker.

She features frequently as a commentator on TV and radio and is the bestselling author of 6 books. Her most recent book  Not For Profit Board Dilemmas is a practical guide to thriving in boardrooms as the non-profit sector faces immense disruption.

To see Julie speaking live, click here.

For more information on Julie’s keynote speaking topics, visit www.directorsdilemma.com.

Julie Garland-McLellan is a boardroom expert with a difference; she has over 20 years of real-life board experience (including chairing a listed company board) as well as the latest governance theory from leading international institutions. She is the author of six books of practical wisdom for boards and directors.

Her newsletter The Director’s Dilemma is read in 68 countries and enjoyed by directors from government-owned, commercial, and not-for-profit boards. Hire Julie to speak at your next board retreat or conference.

# data #alternativedata #BoardPerformance #Boardreview #boardprocess #disruption #business #linkedin #inspiration #networking #training #strategy #directorsdilemma #directors #companydirectors #boardofdirectors #corporategovernance #casestudies #newsletters #trainyourboard #DirectorTraining #strategy #strategicboard #strategicboards #AICDirectors #AICD #Governance #BoardGovernance #WhartonBusinessSchool #Wharton #USA #Australia

Birds of a Feather?

Julie works with boards and directors to enhance their skills and boost their ability to govern

A recent article published by the Small Cap Institute ends with the phrase “Experienced small-cap investors judge companies, in part, by the company they keep. Management should take note.” It is not just Management that should take note, Boards have a vital role to play in assessing the technical competence, intellectual honesty, and fearless integrity of every person with whom their company is associated.

The article starts with a quote from The Wall Street Journal by Mark Maurer, “Companies appear to avoid hiring auditors that have a history of critical audits at other companies…”

Boards have a vested interest in ensuring that Management do not foist a genial and gullible auditor upon them. The job of directing is hard enough. It requires support from well qualified, intellectually rigorous, and scrupulously honest advisors. Especially in the boardroom. Especially now, when Boards are under intense scrutiny.

If observers believe that ‘birds of a feather flock together’ do the advisers to your board do you credit? Or could you achieve greater things if advised with diligence and skill?

Julie Garland McLellan is a boardroom trends forecaster, experienced company director and professional conference speaker.

She features frequently as a commentator on TV and radio and is the bestselling author of 6 books. Her most recent book  Not For Profit Board Dilemmas is a practical guide to thriving in boardrooms as the non-profit sector faces immense disruption.

To see Julie speaking live, click here.

For more information on Julie’s keynote speaking topics, visit www.directorsdilemma.com.

Julie Garland-McLellan is a boardroom expert with a difference; she has over 20 years of real-life board experience (including chairing a listed company board) as well as the latest governance theory from leading international institutions. She is the author of six books of practical wisdom for boards and directors.

Her newsletter The Director’s Dilemma is read in 68 countries and enjoyed by directors from government-owned, commercial, and not-for-profit boards. Hire Julie to speak at your next board retreat or conference.

How to Handle a HiPPO

Julie helps boards and directors to be more effective and build stronger organisations

It is a moment that every director dreads: the High Profile Person’s Opinion is stated and, after that, all the expertise, all the careful study, all the reasoned and reasonable recommendations, seem to fall upon deaf ears. The HiPPO can squash the life out of any idea.

If you let it.

Most directors are highly successful, highly opinionated and highly intelligent. They are also highly motivated to procure the success of the enterprise. It is not wise to go head to head with a HiPPO. They can, and will, crush you if they feel threatened by you.

You will also lose the support of the board. Everyone in the room is aware of the HiPPO’s profile, prowess and previous track record. The board is a team where success depends on combining the talents of all the directors. Nobody wants to see the HiPPO hurt. And directors do have feelings, just like everyone else.

So how do you handle a director who makes a statement that is in danger of shutting down the board discussion?

With respect.

Acknowledge the truth in the statement. Agree with the bits that you can support and then expand the discussion to  bring in other ideas.

With questions.

Clarify the basis for the statement: Have you seen this before? When was that? What did you try? How did it work? How did that situation differ from ours?

With the help of the rest of the board.

Stimulate the discussion: who else was thinking that? Who had a different idea? Who has seen or read or heard something about this recently? Is there an example of success that we can emulate?

This is easiest when you are the chair. But all directors are leaders (or should be). Take the initiative and encourage the board to follow as you continue to explore the topic whilst respecting the addition that the HiPPO has made to the discussion.

Diversity is only useful when it is used. Make sure that your board gets the benefit of all the perspectives. Not just the most emphatic or senior ones. Handle your HiPPOs.

Julie Garland McLellan is a boardroom trends forecaster, experienced company director and professional conference speaker.

She features frequently as a commentator on TV and radio and is the bestselling author of 6 books. Her most recent book  Not For Profit Board Dilemmas is a practical guide to thriving in boardrooms as the non-profit sector faces immense disruption.

To see Julie speaking live, click here.

For more information on Julie’s keynote speaking topics, visit www.directorsdilemma.com.

Julie Garland-McLellan is a boardroom expert with a difference; she has over 20 years of real-life board experience (including chairing a listed company board) as well as the latest governance theory from leading international institutions. She is the author of six books of practical wisdom for boards and directors.

Her newsletter The Director’s Dilemma is read in 68 countries and enjoyed by directors from government-owned, commercial, and not-for-profit boards. Hire Julie to speak at your next board retreat or conference.

# data #alternativedata #BoardPerformance #Boardreview #boardprocess #disruption #business #linkedin #inspiration #networking #training #strategy #directorsdilemma #directors #companydirectors #boardofdirectors #corporategovernance #casestudies #newsletters #trainyourboard #DirectorTraining #strategy #strategicboard #strategicboards #AICDirectors #AICD #Governance #BoardGovernance #WhartonBusinessSchool #Wharton #USA #Australia

A Journey of a Thousand Coffees

Julie works with aspiring and practicing directors to help them to advance their careers and contribute more value to their boards.

“Hi Julie, How are you? I am looking for a paid board position and sharing my cover letter and board resume with you. I shall appreciate if you could circulate these to your connections who you feel may be relevant.”

This was the opening of an email that I received from someone I hardly know and with whom I have never worked.

Did I circulate the (admittedly impressive-looking) resume and cover letter to my 12,000 connections or to those I considered relevant? No!

Boards are jointly and severally liable; that means trust is essential. To credibly recommend someone for a board seat I would need to be able to give concrete and specific examples of why that person was relevant for that board at that time. That would mean knowing the person well.

One of my board colleagues said that getting a board seat is ‘a journey of a thousand coffees’. She is right. You need to get to know people and allow them to know you. LinkedIn helps, but it isn’t enough. Your CV helps but it isn’t enough.

You are the biggest asset you have in your board search. Get out and get to know people. Work with them. Mentor and be mentored. Drink those thousand coffees.

A journey of a thousand coffees starts with a single sip!

Julie Garland McLellan is a boardroom trends forecaster, experienced company director and professional conference speaker.

She features frequently as a commentator on TV and radio and is the bestselling author of 6 books. Her most recent book  Not For Profit Board Dilemmas is a practical guide to thriving in boardrooms as the non-profit sector faces immense disruption.

To see Julie speaking live, click here.

For more information on Julie’s keynote speaking topics, visit www.directorsdilemma.com.