Conferences - Peter Crow | Helping boards govern with impact

Published on: 26 May 2016

Sometimes you have little choice but to activate 'Plan B'

The current fuel supply problems in France, and planned strikes involving the Parisian Metro and bus network and air traffic control is likely to have a major impact on the French economy and, no doubt, its reputation as a reliable destination for commerce and pleasure.

Normally, situations like this are simply stories on the news feeds—news from afar. However, this one is a little more personal because I am due to be in Paris 1–3 June to speak at the EURAM conference. The planned strikes will cause chaos, rendering movement around the city nigh on impossible and placing my return to London to meet pre-booked long-haul flights at serious risk. After considering several options and weighing up the risks, the best (but far from ideal) decision seems to be activate Plan B, to cancel the Paris portion of the trip. Sadly, this means I will not attend EURAM this year.

All is not lost though. The London portion of the trip has been very worthwhile. To have met several influential business leaders and participated in some important discussions has been a privilege. The prospect of several advisory and speaking engagements now looms large. Consequently, I will return to London in mid September and again in late October. Please get in touch if you want more details of the visits, have a request or you wish to schedule a meeting.

Published on: 6 May 2016

Looking forward to looking forward with some great Australian leaders

I'm looking forward to looking forward with some great Australian leaders in Brisbane, QLD on Thu 19 May.

I'll be talking about emerging trends including the board's role in value creation; the importance of setting a clear purpose for the business; board involvement in strategy; how to drive performance through the chief executive, in reality; and, telling a few stories along the way. Look forward to seeing you there!

Two events have been scheduled on Thu 19 May: breakfast and dinner. The breakfast event is almost booked out. However, some seats at the dinner event are still available. If you want to hear about emerging trends in governance and board practice, and their application in a family business context, click here to read more information and to register.

Published on: 5 May 2016

Fuelling the business performance imperative, in London and Paris

This is a brief note in two parts: to say 'thank you' and advise that I'll be in London and Paris again soon.

First, thank you for your continued interest in effective corporate governance as a means of fuelling high business performance. That so many directors and business leaders have contacted me over the last few years, either to tell their story or to seek guidance has been truly gratifying—and even more so when the same people reach out again, many glowing at increased business performance achieved following the initial conversation. So, thank you for reaching out.

Second, I will be in London again very soon (24–31 May), to continue the conversation with directors, boards and business leaders; ahead of a short visit to Paris (1–3 June), to present a paper at the EURAM conference.

Currently, my diary has a few gaps, so if you would like to take advantage of my proximity to discuss an aspect of corporate governance, board practice, strategy or firm performance; learn about emerging trends; or, toss around a 'live' challenge you are grappling with, please get in touch to schedule a meeting. I'd be delighted to hear from you and to attend a meeting at a time and place that suits you.

My availability in London is as follows:

Tue 24 May, mid-afternoon onwards, including dinner
Wed 25 May, late afternoon onwards, including dinner
Thu 26 May, before 11:00am, including breakfast
Fri 27 May, after 1:00pm
Tue 31 May, breakfast

My availability in Paris is more limited because of the conference. However, I am available for dinner meetings on Wed 1 June or Thu 2 June; or, an early morning meeting on Fri 3 June.

I look forward to chatting with you soon.

Published on: 1 May 2016

Institute of Directors' Annual Conference: A miscellany of observations

Some three weeks have now passed since the Institute of Directors' Annual Conference was held at the salubrious Langham Hotel in Auckland. I attended this year for the first time, and did so with an open mind having heard mixed reports about previous editions. Some 450 experienced and aspiring directors, media, consultants and Institute staff attended the one-and-a-half day event.

Some general observations, in no particular order:

The conference was well organised but it was large, loud and expensive. Sessions started on time and the catering was 'on the money'. In contrast, the wall-to-wall screen that spanned the front of the room was a bit over the top. Yes, delegates could see the presenter, video clips and any slides used during presentations, but at what cost? If the goal was to stage an event with 'big name' presenters, the organisers succeeded in the minds of many. However, if the goal was to host a conference for directors, to share experiences and knowledge to enhance board effectiveness, then other less showy approaches may have worked as well.
Four specialist workshops were offered in addition to plenary sessions. These covered the digital director; corporate reporting; planning for intergenerational wealth; and, health and safety. Run twice, delegates had the opportunity to select two of the four workshops, one of the first day and another on the second morning. The workshops I attended ran more like a panel discussion than a workshop with relatively little participation from the floor.
The two 'best' presentations by some distance were delivered by Dr Kirstin Ferguson and Dr Jane Cherrington. Dr Ferguson, an accomplished company director from Australia spoke on 'safety governance' using findings from her recent doctoral research. She spoke about real issues that directors need to grapple with, director responsibilities and introduced a helpful framework to assist directors determine whether the company is operating a safe workplace. Dr Cherrington spoke about the human side of governance. She asserted that values matter because they provide the moral compass for decision-making; and that companies need to know why they exist (their purpose). Without these both in place and lived in the day-to-day activities of the company, the dominant logic (profit and greed) takes over. I couldn't agree more.
In contrast, some presenters delivered thinly-veiled promotional pitches. Mr Alan Joyce (CEO of Qantas), for example, spoke about his role turning around the airline (with liberal use of the personal pronoun throughout) and the airline's strong promotion of LGBT 'rights' (although this was veiled within a diversity narrative). Leaving the diversity agenda aside, several people told me privately that they would rather have heard the board's perspective. One questioned why a CEO might be invited to speak about themselves and their 'successes' at a conference for directors. I suggested they ask the organiser, and lobby for more presentations from directors in future.
Another brickbat. Sponsored baristas served hot fresh espressos during breaks between sessions. However, the queues were very long and, annoyingly, the service was not available during sessions (despite quite a few delegates meeting informally in the trade stand and networking area).
A bouquet. The organisers scheduled long breaks, thus allowing plenty of time for networking both to make new acquaintances and chat with colleagues. This seemed to be appreciated by many.

Overall, the mood of the conference seemed to be upbeat. However, I came away with mixed feelings. Apart from Drs Ferguson and Cherrington, the conference delivered little in the way of critical analysis or case study examples to help directors do their job better. Similar conferences that I've attended overseas make learning a priority. They schedule research streams (peer-reviewed papers discussing emerging trends); plenary panel discussions; 'live' case studies; and, half-day highly interactive workshops on sector- and subject-specific topics of direct relevance to smaller groups of directors. The ICGN Annual Conference stands out as a great example. I hope the organisers see fit to consider 'bulking up' the conference programme in the future, both to broaden the appeal of the conference and to deliver additional value to the delegates—especially directors of smaller entities. The Institute should also consider scheduling its Annual Meeting within the conference programme, to ensure higher levels of participation. I for one would make attendance a priority if these elements are added.

Published on: 25 April 2016

Breaking three weeks of silence

This musing is a little more personal and introspective than most written here. It has been written in the spirit of one of my core values: openness. I hope you allow the indulgence.

In recent days, three people have contacted me because they had noticed that Musings had 'gone quiet'—they had noticed that no new articles had been posted for three weeks. I was blown away, that people had even noticed, let alone reached out. They wanted to know whether everything was OK and if was I still writing.

The short answer is 'yes, I'm fine'. The reason for the three weeks of 'blog silence' (is that what one calls the blog equivalent of 'radio silence'?) is that I've been very busy. Several demanding priorities saw me fully committed elsewhere (I won't bore you with the details, save to say that big task included making sense of some seemingly contradictory information related to a crucial aspect of my thesis). Then, an unexpected delay to one project resulted in me being overcommitted for a few days. As a consequence, something needed to give, so I temporarily stopped writing articles for Musings. That's all.

The craziness of the past three weeks has passed, meaning normal transmission can resume. Top priorities in the short term are to tidy up the remaining loose ends before resubmitting my doctoral thesis; respond to several speaking and advisory enquiries; travel domestically and internationally to fulfil client and conference commitments; and, to write some new Musings articles (first up, a summary piece on the recent Institute of Directors Annual Conference). I'm looking forward to it.

Published on: 5 April 2016

Would you like to learn more about #corpgov and board effectiveness?

Are you based in or near London or Paris? Do you want to learn more about board effectiveness, corporate governance and how boards can exert influence from and beyond the boardroom? If so, please read on.

In a few weeks I will be visiting London (24–31 May) and Paris (1–4 June) to speak with directors and trust board members about board practices, board effectiveness and emerging trends in corporate governance; share the results of my latest research; attend meetings; and, to present a paper at the EURAM conference.

If you have a question (perhaps along the lines of these ones below) or a request and would like to take advantage of my proximity, please get in touch. I'd be delighted to hear from you and to schedule a meeting.

Do you want to increase the effectiveness of your board?
Would you like to know about my latest research on boards and firm performance?
Do you have a question about boards, board practice, corporate governance or a related topic?
Do you want to explore how to apply some of the suggestions I've shared on Musings?
Are you looking for a speaker to address an event or conference sometime in the next 12 months?

If you've answered 'yes' to any of these questions...you know what to do. I am at your service.

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