Strategic planning is easy. It is a commodity. Anyone can write a document and label it ‘strategic plan.’ The real art lies in execution. Many people have great ideas that if they put any one of the ideas into action, they would be rich. The fact that we have a few successful people, it means the art of strategy execution is missing. One time, while reviewing a strategic plan for an organization, it had very ambitious plans and ‘pillars’ of their strategy, with clear budgets. But when it came to financing, they indicated a funding gap of over 40%! They had made a plan with a funding gap of over 40%! Can you…

The general culture of most meetings is backward. When it comes to board meetings, it is absurd. Lots of board meeting time, limited outcomes. For effective governance, this must change. Many organization’s board meetings agenda are distributed wrongly: (i) status updates – 80%; (ii) strategy discussions – 10% and (iii) administration issues – 10%! In the above agenda, boards or meetings spend a lot of time discussing history. If the results are bad, a lot of time is wasted in pointing figures and firefighting. No company grows by focusing on negative things. History is good as far as learning from it is concerned. You don’t need to spend over 80% of your meeting…

The board’s primary mandate is to provide strategic guidance that includes strategic direction and strategic oversight. Strategic direction roles focus on identifying the strategic bullseye – the ambition or vision or aspiration of the organization. Set a vision, mission, enterprise scorecard and a strategy to achieve them. Thereafter, monitor for effective execution. Now Available on Amazon: 7 tools of an effective board member Strategic oversight role focus on risk management and compliance for effective monitoring and control. Every organization must comply with the following: Laws and regulations – these are stated, and or national laws that are enacted by the parliament. Regulations help interpret laws for effective implementation. These are mandatory and prevail any other…

“This mandate that I seek is about continuity and sustainability against disruption and stagnation, about moving forward versus regressing. We have to safeguard what we have already achieved. We cannot put at risk what we have; we cannot gamble away our future”, Anon (2014) For the best governance practices, each business or organization must have a Board of Directors. There are two types of directors –executive directors (company employees with a seat on the board, e.g. managing director) and non-executive directors (non-employees or business associates of the company appointed on the board as independents). MUST-READ: Now available on Amazon: 7 Tools for an Effective Board Member Different organizations name their boards differently. Non-government…

Whether you are a board member or an aspiring one, you will find practical insights to transform your leadership and become a great director. This book is filled with the author’s experiences on different boards as well as a trainer of boards. It is a must-read. In part 1, find what it takes to land a board appointment. And once on the board, the 7 sins to avoid that compromise your independence and effectiveness as a board member. You will also learn insights on how to avoid the sins. In part 2, find the 7 tools of an effective board member. This is a great addition to your reading list Now Available on…

Are you a board member or an aspiring one? You have been appointed on the board. What exactly is your role? How will your impact be measured? What are your do’s and don’ts as a board member? A board appointment attracts a long appointment letter with several generalities. To be a fantastic board member, you must master the tools of an effective board member and behave in a different way. You must answer the following questions: How do I add value to the business to stay informed about all emerging risks and new developments without interfering in the day to day running of the business (eyes on)? How do I create an environment…