Speaking to South African business leaders Colin Coulson-Thomas argues that direction is a different activity from management and that to be competent directors require proper preparation.
July 31, 2007 (Press Release) --
A revolution in director and board development is required and could significantly improve corporate performance according to Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas speaking at the Gordon Institute of Business Science. His latest book ‘Developing Directors’ published by Policy Publications. The guidebook for building an effective boardroom team’ reveals that few directors are properly prepared for their directorial roles.
Coulson-Thomas told business leaders who attended the GIBS Forum event: “Because of a lack of preparation for boardroom roles we should not assume directors are competent or expect boards to be effective. The current situation represents a development challenge and huge opportunity to improve governance standards and corporate performance. The best way of ensuring the longer term success of an enterprise is to ensure it is led by competent directors and an effective board.”
The author of ‘Developing Directors’ believes: “Direction should be seen as a separate but complementary activity to management, rather than as a route to elevated status and higher earnings. Directors need to look beyond functional considerations and work for the best interests of the company and its stakeholders. Their perspective should be strategic rather than departmental. Directors must reconcile the concerns of various stakeholder groups, and respect views of colleagues who may have a different perspective.”
According to Coulson-Thomas: “Direction is about providing leadership, formulating strategy, establishing policies and values, monitoring performance and being accountable at the level of the company as a whole. It involves activities such as visioning, delegating to management and ensuring appropriate capabilities and controls are in place.”
Direction is not easy. Coulson-Thomas explains: “Boards have to strike a balance between short term pressures and longer term considerations, and between stakeholder interests and a company’s own requirements. Entrepreneurial drive has to be balanced with prudence and steps to monitor progress and manage risks. A director must be sufficiently alert to specifics to be accountable, while not so engrossed in detail as to loose an overview perspective.”
’Developing Directors, a guidebook for building an effective boardroom team’, by Colin Coulson-Thomas (ISBN 978-1-872980-32-4) is published by Policy Publications, costs £34.95 plus p&p and can be ordered from: http://www.policypublications.com/developingdirectors.htm
Information about other books and reports by Prof. Coulson-Thomas can be found on http://www.ntwkfirm.com/bookshop/ while details of the bespoke benchmarking and research reports covering critical success factors identified by his research can be obtained from http://www.winningnewbusiness.biz/
Coulson-Thomas told business leaders who attended the GIBS Forum event: “Because of a lack of preparation for boardroom roles we should not assume directors are competent or expect boards to be effective. The current situation represents a development challenge and huge opportunity to improve governance standards and corporate performance. The best way of ensuring the longer term success of an enterprise is to ensure it is led by competent directors and an effective board.”
The author of ‘Developing Directors’ believes: “Direction should be seen as a separate but complementary activity to management, rather than as a route to elevated status and higher earnings. Directors need to look beyond functional considerations and work for the best interests of the company and its stakeholders. Their perspective should be strategic rather than departmental. Directors must reconcile the concerns of various stakeholder groups, and respect views of colleagues who may have a different perspective.”
According to Coulson-Thomas: “Direction is about providing leadership, formulating strategy, establishing policies and values, monitoring performance and being accountable at the level of the company as a whole. It involves activities such as visioning, delegating to management and ensuring appropriate capabilities and controls are in place.”
Direction is not easy. Coulson-Thomas explains: “Boards have to strike a balance between short term pressures and longer term considerations, and between stakeholder interests and a company’s own requirements. Entrepreneurial drive has to be balanced with prudence and steps to monitor progress and manage risks. A director must be sufficiently alert to specifics to be accountable, while not so engrossed in detail as to loose an overview perspective.”
’Developing Directors, a guidebook for building an effective boardroom team’, by Colin Coulson-Thomas (ISBN 978-1-872980-32-4) is published by Policy Publications, costs £34.95 plus p&p and can be ordered from: http://www.policypublications.com/developingdirectors.htm
Information about other books and reports by Prof. Coulson-Thomas can be found on http://www.ntwkfirm.com/bookshop/ while details of the bespoke benchmarking and research reports covering critical success factors identified by his research can be obtained from http://www.winningnewbusiness.biz/
Email
Print
SPAM
LEAVE A COMMENT
