Are Your Board Materials Highlighting What’s Really Important?

1 min read

取締役会の資料は情報量が多く、要点が伝わりにくいという課題が長年指摘されてきました。競争環境やデジタル化が急速に進む中、変化のスピードが速まり、意思決定にかけられる時間も限られています。そのため、取締役はより戦略的な視点を重視し、業務の細かな情報ではなく、重要なポイントを簡潔に把握できる資料を求めています。しかし、会議前や会議中に配布される資料が膨大で、本当に重要な情報が埋もれてしまうケースも少なくありません。取締役会としては、ビジネスの基本や業界動向を迅速に理解できる支援を必要としており、要点を押さえた資料とプレゼンテーションをもとに、経営陣と戦略的な対話を深めたいと考えています。

本資料では、経営陣がなぜ重要でない情報を提供し続けてしまうのか、その要因を分析し、この課題を解決するための6つのステップを提示します。この6つのステップは、取締役会のリーダーシップやCEOが会議の議題や補足資料を適切に整理し、効果的な意思決定を支援するための指針となります。取締役会の意思決定プロセスをより効果的にし、戦略的な議論を深化させるための一助となれば幸いです。ぜひご活用ください。

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Regardless of the reasons, addressing this issue is a two-way street. In the end, it is about knowing the audience. What do the directors want? What are their preferences when absorbing information? Do they prefer visuals or text or both? Would it be useful to provide distinctive headings, simple language, consistent formats and explanatory narratives alongside graphs and tables? Board report preparers should be guided by a framework that is responsive to the content and tone desired by the board.

Getting the answers begins with the CEO, who is ultimately responsible for effective communications with the board. The board chair or lead director also has the responsibility to ensure that meetings are well planned and supported with quality materials. To maximize value contributed from independent directors, it is in the CEO’s best interest to listen to director feedback on improving boardroom discussions and engagement and address that feedback in a positive, constructive manner. It is in everyone’s interest for directors to consider meetings to be stimulating and productive.

This issue offers six steps to help board leadership and the CEO keep board meeting agendas and supporting materials fresh and relevant. It provides suggestions toward channeling the board’s energy and effectiveness as strategic advisors as well as offers a discipline for excellent board operations through a shift from presentation to collaboration that is respectful of the sanctity of the time of board members.

The bottom line: Voluminous materials are not fit for purpose in today’s competitive, digital and data-driven world, as they force board members to use their own personal filters to sift through the information provided to identify what they believe to be relevant. Providing focused, concise, forward-looking and balanced on-strategy materials with actionable insights to directors will facilitate effective board meetings. It also speaks highly of the management team.

(Board Perspectives — Issue 184)

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