Expanding the board assessment processes

Partner and member of the firm’s Board Advisory and Governance practice Adrienne DiPaolo has suggested ways an organization’s senior management can ensure they’re getting value out of their board.

Adrienne’s comments come in the latest edition of Director Journal’s column Directors’ Dilemma, which this month asks the question: “Should we expand our board assessment process to include feedback from our senior management team?”

“A key role of the board is to help the executive team frame issues and develop strategies,” Adrienne said.

“So one way of gauging the value of the board’s effectiveness would be to ask executives if they regularly leave board meetings with different ideas or directions based on the questions and insights provided by the directors.”

The column says senior management might be in a better position to identify areas in which the board could fill to provide more effective oversight.

“The board is elected to oversee the business and affairs of the company, and the CEO and other members of the executive team have a unique line of sight into how effectively the board is discharging that responsibility,” Adrienne said.

You can read the full column here.