One Minute Governance

This episode indulges my governance and musician lives and explores a recent decision error by the Canadian Music Week festival.

Are your corporate policies perpetuating systemic exclusion in boardrooms?

We often say that "networking" is the best way to get on boards.  I think building a community is far more powerful.

The "three circle model" is perhaps the most recognizable tool in family enterprise, and it's hugely valuable for a lot of reasons.  When it comes to governance, I think it's an unnecessary distraction.

Business families and their advisors often put too much trust in their "gut" or instinct in their approach to governance.  

Most experts in the family enterprise space seem to think that boards are only valuable when a company is big, complex and/or multi-generational.  I'm pretty sure I disagree.

Family ownership is the dominant business model in the world, and contributes a significant majority to Canada's GDP.  Why doesn't family enterprise governance get more attention?

Today's episode is brought to you by One Minute Governance's first ever guest, Meron Tecle .  Meron wonders why boards don't use their skills matrix disclosure as an opportunity to show shareholders how they *really* approach board composition.

Great directors are rare, and not always easy to spot even if they're right there in front of you.  What are some of the things you should look for?

Board chair is one of your organization's most important positions.  Plus great board chairs are rare.  Plus it takes time for a new board chair to settle into the position.  How ready are you for chair succession?

It seems obvious that we'd want to seek consensus in the boardroom, but what exactly is the chair's job in reaching that objective?

Great board chairs are even more rare than great directors.  Where did they learn to be so good??

It's become almost universal in Canada for board chair and CEO positions to be held by different people.  Is it always the best approach?

Director performance is difficult to measure, and maybe even harder to manage.  What are the best boards doing to manage under-performance?

In my opinion, it's a myth that non-profit board experience gets your foot in the door for paid board seats, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't sit on non-profit boards!

A lot of us dream about getting on a board one day, but excellent directors are very rare.  How do you know if the job is right for you?

Why do we always insist on looking for a connection between good governance and good performance?

OK I said it.  I don't think a shareholder can be completely independent in the boardroom.

Boards measure their own performance.  That's hard!  

I'm not convinced that aligning directors' interests with shareholders' interests actually increases independence.  Especially if a director isn't wealthy...

This is the most impulsive - and longest - episode of One Minute Governance so far.  I recorded this on the evening of January 6th, 2021 after watching events unfold in the United States and seeing lawmakers express their horror at a situation that they had, in effect, deliberately created.  The analogy for boards is this: confidently voice your dissent, and ensure it is recorded.  Otherwise, you...

Why it's actually better for boardroom conversations to be painful

Happy New Year from One Minute Governance

Many organizations reject governance insights that come from other sectors.  I don't think that makes a lot of sense...

Most boards conduct some sort of self-assessment, but what's the difference between a good one and a bad one?