Non-executive Director Programme Session 6 | The Effective Board

Creating an effective board is a complex and ever-changing challenge. When it goes wrong the failures can be notorious and shameful. For example, there were 80 directors of The Post Office in the past 23 years – many highly experienced professionals and some pillars of the establishment. Not one of them appears to have effectively challenged what was going on.

From Carillion to RBS to Patisserie Valerie, the list of boardroom failures is a long one. The postmortems all cite poor culture and behaviours among the failings of the NXDs. So, how do we learn from the past and make sure that the boards which we sit on follow good practice to deliver good governance?

This highly interactive workshop explores how to create and maintain an effective culture in the boardroom. It explores the group dynamics; considers what influences trust; and examines what shapes the quality of decisions.

We look at the conundrums which are continuously in play:

1. Ensuring independent judgement – while achieving consensus
2. Focussing on the future – while probing the present
3. Challenging the CEO – while supporting the CEO
4. Working together – while avoiding group think
5. Discovering the detail – without micro-managing

Getting the culture right is the key. In most cases, it determines the success or failure of organisations. This workshop aims to examine the DNA of an effective board and how to become one.

Guest speaker bio

Atholl Duncan

Atholl is an experienced NXD and Chair who works with boards to help them become more effective and successful. He brings to the table years of real-life experience in the heat of the boardroom and on the front line of transforming organisations. He is the Chair of UK Coaching; the Chair of the performance and technology business, Black Isle Group; the Chair of Salmon Scotland – the trade body for a £1 billion pound industry; and the Founder and CEO of The Edge Consultancy.

He is a former NXD in a cinema business and has an executive education from Harvard and Insead. He works with CEOs, Chairs, and emerging leaders helping them to navigate the complex and challenging issues which they face in the post pandemic world. He has worked extensively internationally, especially in Europe and the Middle East.

He is expert in coaching in situations involving transformation, group dynamics, conflict, and influence. He is the author of “Leaders in Lockdown” which was shortlisted for “Leadership Book of the Year” in 2021.