Board of directors : How is the position of a manager and a board member different ?

The board of directors is by nature an essential assembly for the company. It is the guardian of the decisions taken by the shareholders and validates the company’s major strategic decisions. Therefore, for its proper functioning, it is important to create a favourable and methodical environment so that all participants collaborate effectively.

 

THE COACHING OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS 4 NEEDS :

 

To be and act as a director.

To be and act as the chair of the board of directors.

To have an effective board of directors.

To interact with the general management.

 

Each need has its own specific coaching method and tools.

 

TO BE AND ACT AS A DIRECTOR

 

Whatever the board of directors, being asked to become the director of a company is always a sign of recognition and “prestige”, but accepting the mandate of director means making a commitment to work for the company, without counting your time.

It is important to approach this new responsibility with seriousness and professionalism.

 

Our support formats :

  • Individual or group coaching about the rights and duties of a director.
  • Coaching / simulation with the support of a film.
  • Coaching “feedback on the mandate”.

 

TO BE AND ACT AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

It is important to distinguish between the nature of the power of a board chair and the role expected of a chair.

In order to play the role of “chairperson”, the following four behaviors must be mastered :

Framer: for the proper conduct of discussions (time management/timeliness/agenda management/fluidity, etc.).

Facilitator: to ensure that everyone expresses themselves (collegiality/avoiding “stowaways”/distribution of speaking time, etc.).

Agitator: to provoke the “devil’s advocate” (constructive contradiction/debate/expression of doubts, etc.).

Catalyst : to refocus the debate and decide (synthesis after each topic/validation and vote if necessary, etc.).

 

Our coaching formats :

  • Individual coaching – Replace president with chairman.
  • Presence of the coach on the board of directors as an observer.

 

HAVING AN EFFECTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Bringing together competent and willing people on the board of directors does not guarantee that the board will function well, as multiple biases can impede their interactions. One approach to mitigating their effects is to create a supportive and orderly environment for all participants to work together effectively.

 

Our coaching formats :

  • Evaluation with questionnaire and qualitative interview.Training session for the group that forms the board of directors.
  • Coaching over time of the group that forms the board of directors by having, among the members of the group, a dedicated interlocutor (SPOC).

 

INTERACTING WITH SENIOR MANAGEMENT

 

To establish certain countervailing powers of collegiality, the two most notorious bodies are the Management Committee and the Board of Directors (BoD). While the former is composed of company managers, the latter may include representatives of shareholders or employees, as well as independent outside directors.

Their good understanding is a guarantee for the smooth running of the company; their disagreement is a source of dysfunction and inefficiency.

 

Our support formats :

  • Coaching of the Management Committee members, with the presence of a member of the board of directors (SPOC).
  • Structuring of a file to be presented to the board of directors.
  • Simulation of a presentation of a file.
  • Management Committee posture: transparent, patient, modest.
  • Board posture: confident, helpful, diplomatic.

 

 

VISCONTI Partners

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