Board Behavioural Dynamics in Progressive Boards

Programme Overview

Every board demonstrates different behavioural dynamics. Studies have shown that board effectiveness depends upon the behavioural dynamics of a board and how the web of interpersonal and group relationships between directors is developed. At the end of the day, “A board’s effectiveness comes down to its behavioural dynamics which relates to how directors interact with one another and management in the privacy of the boardroom and outside the boardroom, and whether they resist groupthink and its close cousins. Do board members have the courage to voice concerns or issues that an individual director may have?“

Programme Objective

To provide a robust, comprehensive and leading practice insight into the world of board behavioural dynamics. By the end of the programme each participant will be able to:

  • Gain insights into what makes a board progressive and the building blocks of progressive boards
  • Discover the role of the chairman in managing boardroom relationships
  • Learn how to encourage Critical thinking in the boardroom
  • Understand individual directors and group behaviours inside and outside the boardroom
  • Explore the characteristics differentiating boards from other teams
  • Appreciate what makes a great board
  • Explain the concept of board behavioural dynamics and why is it important

Programme Coverage

  • What is board behavioural dynamics and why is it important?
  • A framework for understanding board behavioural dynamics
  • Why working in group is difficult?
  • What makes a board progressive?
  • Board maturity model (The Evolution Scale)
  • The three building blocks of progressive boards
  • Encouraging critical thinking in the boardroom
  • Critical thinking and metacognition
  • Cognitive biases and board workarounds
  • Overcoming cognitive biases
  • Social loafing
  • Suggestions to preventing social loafing
  • Groupthink
  • Managing conflicts in the boardroom
  • Suggestions to preventing groupthink
  • The Abilene Paradox in the boardroom
  • Social Conformity – Another special case of groupthink
  • Optimising board decision making
  • Sample boardroom behaviours to avoid
  • The role of the chairman in managing the relationship within and around the board
  • Use board retreat to engineer open discussion

Who Should Attend?

  • Board members (EDs, NEDs and INEDs)
  • Company secretaries, deputy secretaries and assistant secretaries

Duration: 3 hours (In-house/In-plant only)

Date: As agreed with our client

Programme fee: As negotiated

Key benefits: programme materials and certificate of participation