Confidence how?

Confidence at the Board Table

Most Board Members want to make valuable and intelligent contributions to board discussions.  Most CEOs (Executive Directors) want to receive relevant and helpful advice and counsel from their boards. 

When Board Members know what questions to ask – and know how to ask them – confidence, competence, and informed decisions more readily emerge at the board table. 

What are the right questions?  They are questions of oversight, insight and foresight.

Oversight questions ask if the board is meeting the requirements of its stewardship mandate. “Are we meeting the expectations of our owners and stakeholders?”  “Is our financial situation clearly understood and sound?” “Do we have a robust strategic agenda?” 

Insight and foresight questions engage the board in the development of the strategic agenda.  When the board approves a strategic plan it “places a bet” that the CEO will make it work.

Insight and foresight questions draw Board Members’ knowledge and experience with past successes and failures into the discussion.  Coupled with management’s knowledge and experience the discussion is enriched, plans become stronger, and the strategic bet improved.   

Our “Questions” workshop helps directors learn to use past experience to ask the right questions.  It is part of our “Confidence at the Board Table Series.”

Next:  Enablers for “the right questions.”