In Part 1 of our joint webinar series, ‘Best in class board packs: an impossible dream?’, Susan Stenson from Independent Audit and Emer Brogan from Board Intelligence explored why organisations are struggling to deliver high-quality board information, the impact it has on board performance, and what good looks like. Read on for the key takeaways from the event.
1. High quality board information is essential for board performance, but ineffective information is frequently raised as an issue in board reviews
“Every time we work with a board, board information comes up as a topic – mostly in a negative way. We want this to change as it’s a fundamental element of board effectiveness.” ~ Susan Stenson, Independent Audit
2. Research from Board Intelligence and the Chartered Governance Institute shows the problem is far-reaching and getting worse
"We found that only 28% of board directors believe their board pack supports a productive conversation, and 70% rate their board pack as ‘weak’ or ‘poor’. Since 2020, we’ve found that board packs are getting longer but they’re also becoming less effective.” ~ Emer Brogan, Board Intelligence
3. You want your board information to pack more punch – delivering greater insight in fewer pages
“40% of you told us you wanted to see more insight in your papers – papers that draw out the ‘so what?’, that think through the implications. 25% of you said you’d like shorter board packs, which is understandable when board packs often run to hundreds of pages.” ~ Emer Brogan, Board Intelligence
4. Best in class board packs have four key ingredients: a well-structured agenda, a great CEO’s report, a simple KPI dashboard, and forward-looking information.
“If you have a strong agenda and CEO’s report , you’ll have a better board pack and a better board meeting.” ~ Susan Stenson, Independent Audit
