Nine business days after arriving in England for meetings and speaking engagements in several English and Swiss cities, I am once more seated at Heathrow: this time to enjoy Air Zealand's service on the long flight home—and to sleep! Reflecting on fifteen meetings, eight hotels and many conversations, the main thought to emerge from this trip is "demand". Simply, the level of interest in boards, board practice and how to get boards doing the 'right' things in order to achieve the business performance outcomes expected by shareholders has been almost overwhelming. For example:
  • Professors from two English universities and one Irish university have offered to organise masterclasses to expedite healthy debate about boards and the difference they can make.
  • Two different groups of people, both based in Zurich, including professorial staff at unisg.ch, have said they want to organise teaching and learning seminars, to raise the bar amongst banks and international businesses.
  • The team at Ethical Boardroom has invited me to provide the editorial commentary for their summer issue.
  • Several (sorry, I'm not at liberty to disclose details) have requested advice on matters relating to board structure, apprenticing, strategy and business performance.
That so many people are actively seeking help to improve business performance through effective contributions in the boardroom has caught me on the hop. After all, the public persona presented by boards and chief executives is that they have everything under control. However, when the conversation moves beyond platitudes, its seems most are worried. I have put myself at the service of all who are interested. If you would like to know more, or to schedule some assistance, please contact me.