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The Educated Director

October 18, 2019

Companies today need to have a Board of Directors and C-suite that is far more aware, and has opinions on environmental and social issues…the new world wants more than shareholder value.

Beverly Topping, Chairman and Founding Partner at Spearfront Partners

Governance education in Canada took root in the early 2000s in the wake of the institutionalized fraud and corruption that plagued North American corporations. Most notably, the Enron scandal, that resulted in the loss of billions in pensions and stock prices and drove the creation of new regulations and legislation to increase accountability, highlighted the need for stronger board governance. Today, organizations and board members are faced with new challenges to innovate, grow, compete, and govern, while operating in a state of unpredictable change. Board leaders must continuously adapt, further develop their skills and learn to innovate and evolve.

Why is Governance Training so Important?

The trends and issues impacting corporate, crown and non-profit directors have shifted significantly since 2001. Shareholder activism, gender equality, climate change, corporate citizenship and technological innovation are pushing boards to actively recruit directors who understand the changing risks and opportunities arising from fast moving disruption and to help them to plan forward-thinking agendas and reduce risk. Tomorrow’s directors must know how to lead on the advancement of an innovation agenda, how to protect all stakeholders of an organization and how to embrace culture as an asset that can support the strategy of the company.

Director training is becoming a necessity for organizations and not just any training, but an immersive experience with education that goes beyond the classroom to incorporate practical application and explore critical aspects of directorship to raise the art and impact of directorship by bringing wisdom, strategic thinking, curiosity and integrity to the board table.

Today’s directors are the stewards of prosperity, of progress and of society. We need to reposition the bar on director education.

Dr. Michael Hartmann, Executive Director EMBA in Digital Transformation at the DeGroote School of Business and Principal, The Directors College

What Should You Look for in Governance Training?

Director education programs should go beyond theory and provide a comprehensive exploration of the structural, cultural and behavioural aspects of governance. Boards can no longer check boxes, they must have a deep understanding of the organization, and how and where the organization impacts the world and directors need a full understanding of their roles, accountabilities and responsibilities. At a deeper level, director education programming needs to focus on:

Diversity
Beyond the composition of individuals, a director education program should include diversity of thought from faculty, alumni and directors representing a wide range of sectors and board structures to uncover new perspectives and approaches and add energy to group dynamics.

Flexibility
Governance education is wide-ranging and intensive, so having a program that is adaptable to changing schedules and needs can be important to ensure participants have the opportunity to expand their networks and manage day to day obligations.

Engagement
A director education program should incorporate varied presentation methods and strategies to create engagement with the subject matter, including dynamic lectures, working sessions, case studies, and simulations.

Accreditation
Governance and director education in Canada began as a collaboration between the corporate world and academia, and that partnership continues to create innovative programming for board members. A university accreditation signals a higher level of learning that takes advantage of those innovations and access to quality faculty who are thought leaders in governance.

Support
Director education is an ongoing process that should be supported by additional opportunities to enhance knowledge through continuing education opportunities, events and networking with leaders in the space across sectors.

Practicality
Training must include an opportunity for directors to transfer their knowledge into action in a meaningful way. Reading about and even debating governance issues is not enough to instill the tenets of solid governance training – it must be simulated in a realistic, controlled and coachable setting, to have maximum impact.

Unique to The Directors College, Module 5: The Boardroom Simulation, lets directors experience realistic board situations, complete with professional actors and experienced board directors to bring the simulation to life. This module provides a dynamic opportunity to bring together all the lessons and behavioural strategies taught throughout the previous modules. Directors can put into practice experiences and lessons from the previous four modules, participate as a board member at board and committee meetings and experience a “day on the board” of a simulated corporation, gain personal insight on how board behaviour, and that of outside stakeholders, affects board processes and productivity, and evaluate other participants and provide valuable feedback.

New approaches to governance are discussed and the opportunity to reflect on your response around ethics, reputation and crisis management in the Module 5 Simulation is a value added approach to the learning environment. My leadership skills and courage to engage confidently at any board table has been enhanced by The Directors College.

Christine Williams, C.Dir., H.R.C.C.C, A.C.C, Chartered Director, Centennial College and Alumnus of The Directors College

Does Your Board have the Skills to Succeed?

Given the rate of change in an ever-shrinking world, organizations can not afford to seat board members who do not have the training and practical experience required to govern effectively. Poor board compositions, cultures and tactics have caused irreparable damage to the reputations and financial values of large companies over the past few years, but having the right mix of forward thinking, values-driven, and change enabling leaders can mitigate risk.

This article was originally published in the October 2019 issue of Canadian Business Journal.