Board Evaluation

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Board Evaluation

Board Evaluation

You put time and effort into your external board evaluation, so you want it to be effective and fit for the future.

Our approach to board evaluation is to recognise that there’s no point looking back over what you’ve done, when it’s how well you’re going to do in future that really matters.

This requires recognising that the board isn’t just governed by the formal roles, processes and strategies in place, but is also a social entity whose decisions are as much influenced by the informal culture, values and beliefs at play.

In response, our board evaluation methodology involves looking at all of the following six elements of good corporate governance:

James Bagge
“The real value of a board evaluation is the way it allows boards to take a step back to think about how they do things.”
The culture of the organisation and board drives the behaviours that determine how things get done. So, what is the culture and what do you need it to be? If the business needs to become more agile, innovative or productive, what are the behaviours needed to create those behaviours and how can the board drive and communicate the need for this?
Are the right people doing the right roles and does everyone have a clear and shared understanding of roles? Where there are issues of particular concern, should the board be appointing someone to take control of the issue? Is the right, temporary and permanent, succession planning in place? Does the board have the right skills for the future?
Is the need for more agile working and responsive decision-making being balanced against the need to ensure appropriate oversight and organisational processes? How well is risk being managed? Are the processes around information gathering and communication and the tempo of decision-making working effectively?
Is the board focusing on the right things in the right way and forward-thinking enough? Is the thinking being stretched enough and what measures are in place to come up with immediate, medium and long-term strategies when there is uncertainty and ambiguity? Are emotions and concerns being incorporated to allow for ‘feel-think-act-review’ cycles?
Decisions are almost certainly being based on underlying assumptions and believes, so what are those spoken, or unspoken beliefs and how are they influencing the board? What beliefs need to be challenged and how can beliefs be shared to allow for different perspective and advocate new courses of action?
A boardroom that anchors people to shared values will allow people to safely voice concerns, reduce conflict and speed up decision-making. So what values are being used to define how the board goes about making decisions? How are directors using shared values, instead of defending individual view points, to operate as a unitary board?

By looking at each of these areas, we can provide you with deep, yet actionable, insights that catalyse open debate into the best ways to increase the effectiveness of your board and its ability to cope with future challenges.

If you would like to know more about our approach to board services, download our Board evaluation brochure.

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A good, perceptive and competent review which promoted a very healthy debate during and post review and raised some helpful issues. I would certainly recommend Bvalco.

James Hambro, Chairman, Guide Dogs for the Blind

The review was well managed, professional, attentive with well conducted challenges. It was a worthwhile process and importantly, it added value to the Board and thus to the business itself because it delivered actionable insights. I would certainly use Bvalco again and would be pleased to refer them.

John Daly, Chairman, Britvic

“We used Bvalco to carry out our board review for three years in a row. The recommendations were very insightful. Overall it made the board process more efficient and improved understanding of the respective roles of the executives and non-executives.”

Douglas Flint, Former Chairman, HSBC Group

“Often when you go in for a board review everyone sits around the table agreeing but then the report gets put away and nothing happens. Bvalco’s recommendations were very good - substantial but not too long. It made the board more reflective and creative.”

Clarissa Farr, Fellow (NED), Winchester College

“We found the analysis was thorough and the final report was focussed and concise, without superfluous comment. The board will put the recommendations to good use and we would be happy to work with Bvalco again.”

Charles Sinclair, Chairman, Associated British Foods plc

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