Top Team and Board Development
Ann has many clients in this area. The work generally falls into two main categories - personal and strategic development.
Personal Development
Many people who reach Board level in organizations have not received any personal development for some time. They are often thrust into Director roles and are expected “to get on with it”. However many Board members want more than this.
One example of long-term work with one Board of Directors has covered areas such as:
- Understanding the role of the Director
- How to be an effective leader and role model
- Empowering deputies and delegating work
- Keeping out of the operational detail and developing a strategic approach
- Governance and ethical working practice
This Board has also engaged in a 360-degree feedback exercise where they have received feedback from their staff, their peers and their customers. The feedback was then used to identify their personal strengths and skills gaps and to set development goals in place to address their weaknesses.
Strategic Development
Many top teams struggle with balancing corporate team working at Board level and achieving their Departmental priorities and objectives. Conflicts of interest can arise.
Board development includes working with Directors to help them to take a corporate, top-team approach through:
- Strategic planning and goal setting
- Avoiding competition and political in-fighting
- Handling power, conflicts and organizational politics
This is not always easy but these issues are relevant to many Boards and external input and coaching can help.
Identifying the values and purpose for the organization and the senior team, and corporate governance, are also important areas for Board development that I can help with.
