Research
IDDAS is committed to innovation, insight and re-framing of ideas at the
Board and Senior Leadership level. This leads us to both develop new
approaches and research existing subject areas important to the Board
and Senior Leaders. Below is a selection of the ideas and research areas
that we are pursuing.
'Board Dynamics - The Non Executive Director's Perspective' Research 2011
This third report in our Board Dynamics series looks at the role of the
non-executive director a couple of years on from the financial crisis.
We have now interviewed more than 60 board directors for this report and
its predecessors, The Chairman's Perspective and A Female Perspective.
In the process we have built up a comprehensive picture of the changing
dynamics within British boardrooms.
Boards have now had a chance to absorb the recommendations of the Turner
and Walker reviews, and the updated UK Corporate Governance Code has
been in effect long enough for most to have completed a full reporting
year under the new regime. There has also been a renewed focus on
improving the diversity of boards, in particular on attracting more
women to the NED role. While we were conducting our research, Lord
Davies published Women on Boards, in which he made 10 recommendations,
one of which was that FTSE 100 companies should aim for a minimum of 25%
female board members by 2015.
What do non-executive directors make of all these changes and
recommendations? How much progress has been made in implementing them?
Where do NEDs stand on quotas? These are some of the questions our
research sought to answer. As always, our focus has been on behaviours
and attitudes. We have explored the transition from executive to
non-executive, preparedness for the non-exec role, and the all-important
issue of challenge. We asked about time commitment and responsibility in
relation to pay and about ways of widening the pool from which NEDs are
drawn.
Our findings suggest that today's NEDs are acutely aware of their
increased accountability and are prepared to work hard. No one joins a
board nowadays expecting an easy ride. Many would like to be better
paid, but see no likelihood of this in the near future. They are
instinctively opposed to quotas for women, but recognise the need for urgent action to address the current
shortfall. We also noted, alongside a general tendency for people to
become NEDs at a younger age, an emerging cadre of highly accomplished individuals who are becoming
portfolio NEDs in their 40s or early 50s as a deliberate career and
lifestyle choice. This move reflects the fact that top-level executive
careers are starting and ending earlier, and that the increased
accountability of the NED role makes it a meatier, more challenging and
ultimately more interesting proposition than it might have been in the
past.
Please click here
for a copy of the Executive Summary. Any interest and enquiries on this research should be directed to Jackie White on jackiew@iddas.com.
'Board Dynamics - The Chairman's Perspective' Research 2010
IDDAS conducted in-depth interviews with 21 FTSE 350 and large companies
chairmen (50% of which were FTSE 350) asking them about the skills
required of a chairman, their relationship with the CEO and key issues
that need to be addressed in running a board. The survey also
investigated key corporate governance issues including diversity,
succession planning and board assessment.
Key findings include:
- The relationship between the chairman and CEO was the most
important in the company and effective chairmen spend considerable time
and effort getting this right. If they are not successful, their
ultimate duty is to replace the CEO.
- The skill of the chairman lies in the ability to achieve
influence without holding power. This involves: balancing the needs and
interests of multiple stakeholders and personalities; forging the board
into a well-performing team; running effective board meetings; and
ensuring the right mix of people and skills round the board table.
- There is an enormous emphasis on 'soft skills', such as
listening, influencing, coaching and engaging, as well as building
consensus.
- Being a chairman takes more time than expected and can be a
lonely position. Chairmen have limited support networks for their
chairing role
- Not all the chairmen were formally evaluated and many suggested
ways it could be done better.
Helen Pitcher, Chairman of IDDAS, said: "Following up on from our highly
successful and well received research into the Female perspective on
Board Effectiveness, which highlighted the view of just how pivotal the
role of Chairman was, it seemed logical to base our latest research on
their perspective. This coupled with the backdrop of the new and
somewhat controversial provisions in the recently published code meant
our research was even more timely. Our research The Chairman's
perspective enabled us to hear directly from chairmen of major companies
about their path to the boardroom, their main responsibilities and views
on the challenges they face and the skills required to effectively chair
a board.
"If one thing stands out, it is that our interviewees - all with notable
business careers - cited 'people challenges' as the number one issue.
Whenever we posed questions about the chairman's strategic, finance or
governance capabilities invariably the response centred on people issues
and the chairman's role in fostering productive relationships between
his senior colleagues.
"I'm confident that our findings will interest a number of audiences.
Serving chairmen will find it instructive to compare their experience
with our interviewees. Those aspiring to the role will gain insight on
what they're likely to encounter and senior executives (including
non-executive directors) will gain a better understanding of the
intricacies involved in leading and, ideally, inspiring top teams
through the corporate minefield."
Please click here for a copy of the Executive Summary. Any
interest and enquiries on this research should be directed to Jackie
White on jackiew@iddas.com.
'Board Dynamics-a female perspective, Women on FTSE 100 boards'
This report was published by IDDAS in 2009. The report is
providing an insight into the views of female board directors of FTSE
100 companies and exploring their role and effectiveness on boards. It
includes research that shows that although many of the characteristics
of successful female board directors are the same as for their male
counterparts, women do believe that they bring a different perspective
and are more likely to have certain strengths and weaknesses than men.
IDDAS conducted in-depth interviews with a fifth of all the female
board directors of FTSE 100 companies, asking them about the factors that led to their own success and to that of other female directors they have worked with. The
research also probed, among other things, how women raise tough issues; how they are recruited; what holds them back; the impact of being the only woman on a board; and the role of the chair in women's' development.
Please
click here
for a copy of the Executive Summary. Any interest and enquiries on this research should be directed to Jackie
White on jackiew@iddas.com. Also see
Past Events
section.
New Approaches
As part of our ongoing response to clients needs and the development of the latest trends in Board level leadership, we are continually developing and adapting approaches in our areas of expertise; below is a selection of some of the models and ideas with which we work.
Positive Psychology
The growing area of Positive Psychology is re-modelling many of the approaches and views of development and coaching. So how do you become more ‘happy’, below is a model of the key elements of creating a ‘ happier life’.
Click to view the Positive Psychology Happiness model
Supporting Change Transitions
In any merger or acquisition, whilst the company is dealing with a wide range of commercial issues, the people perspective can often get overlooked. Leaders go through a wide range of emotions, uncertainty and negativity. Helping these key leaders prepare for this can accelerate the integration process, smooth the transition and prepare people for all the forthcoming changes. Below is a ‘emotional schema’ added to the traditional change absorption bell curve.
Click to view the Change Journey model
Coaching
Increasingly in the field of leadership and coaching the understanding of our own limiting beliefs and restraints is an important break through point to achieving growth; they impact on attitudes, feelings, behaviours and perceptions. It is even truer at the Board and Senior Leadership team levels, where the impacts can be seismic and accelerated. So bringing belief systems into play at these levels is an important ‘art’ of the coach and facilitator.
Click to view the Impact of Beliefs model