– Jim Collins
– Jim Collins
Board Advisory
We evaluate and advise organizations on issues of Board Capability, Effectiveness and Succession. Our approach draws on our deep experience of seeing Boards in action, workshops held for a wide range of clients as well as insights from proprietary research into Board Effectiveness outlined in our book ‘The Active Board’ (Den Aktive Bestyrelse) published by Gyldendal, a leading Scandinavian publishing house.
The Chairman is a central factor of a Board’s effectiveness: he or she has the primary role in determining its focus, setting the tone for discussions and leading its composition. It is a demanding and difficult role that requires a set of skills that is different in many respects from those that underpin a successful executive career, in particular as CEO, which remains the professional background of many Chairmen. Consequently, we are often asked how Boards can add greater value to the business, not only providing better governance and oversight.
We believe Board Advisory has the most effect when it is a tailored approach, reflecting specific client needs and anchored in the right fundamental questions. This includes ensuring alignment on the Board’s role and capabilities and exploring behavioural dynamics, not only reviewing the Board processes and procedures. This can be achieved through questionnaires, individual structured interviews and/or roundtable discussions, led by expert practitioners and supplemented by a range of other diagnostic tools as required.
The overall objective is to address key Board themes and propose actionable recommendations that stimulate an open and honest Board debate, which contributes to improving Board Effectiveness and the organization’s overall performance.