Board management: How to improve operations at the highest level

Board management plays a critical role in shaping the direction and governance of an organisation. 

It ensures that decisions are aligned with strategic goals, and that board members operate efficiently and collaboratively. As boards are responsible for overseeing the long-term success of an organisation, effective board management is key to ensuring strong corporate governance, accountability, and informed decision-making.

With increasing regulatory pressures, the need for rapid decision-making, and heightened scrutiny from stakeholders, board management has perhaps never been more critical. 

In this article, we share practical steps that chairpeople can take to ensure that their approach to board management drives their organisations towards success, rather than failure. 

How can you master board management?

With the stakes growing ever higher, the external environment more turbulent, and the nature of business shifting constantly, it’s clear that board management can feel like shooting at a moving target. 

To help chairpeople manage their boards effectively, we’ve compiled six practical steps to help: 

1. Establish (and follow) clear governance frameworks

A well-defined governance framework is fundamental to effective board management. It sets out the operating model to guide the way a functions, ensuring that all members understand their roles, responsibilities, and the decision-making processes. By clarifying these elements, chairpeople can create an environment where accountability thrives, and the board can operate efficiently.

A strong governance framework includes clear delineation of roles, from the chairperson to individual directors, ensuring that everyone understands their duties and the extent of their decision-making power. 

Additionally, a structured decision-making process, such as defining who leads discussions on key issues and how consensus is reached, helps prevent confusion and delays. This framework serves as a backbone for board activities, allowing the chairperson to ensure that tasks are completed, and decisions are made in a timely, transparent manner.

Lastly, governance frameworks are key to scenario planning — a core function of a successful board. According to Ashley Summerfield and Lex McGraw from Egon Zendher, "Board Members need to consider the “what, why, and how” of scenarios and be prepared to respond even if they aren’t asked to.” They expand further on this, commenting, “The challenge lies in determining when to comment internally versus externally and how to navigate communication nuances in the face of uncertainty.” Frameworks are essential to be successful in this kind of scenario planning. 

2. Enhance communication and collaboration

Effective communication is the lifeblood of successful board management. Without it, even the most skilled and experienced boards can fall short of their potential. 

Clear, consistent communication ensures that board members are informed, engaged, and able to collaborate effectively in decision-making processes. As chairperson, mastering communication is essential to fostering cohesion and transparency.

Digital tools now play a critical role in streamlining communication across the board. Platforms for real-time collaboration, secure document sharing, and meeting management have revolutionised how boards communicate. These tools reduce administrative burden, ensuring that key information is delivered promptly and securely. 

Fostering a culture of open dialogue and transparency is also key to enhancing collaboration. This starts with the chairperson setting the tone for respectful, open exchanges where differing opinions are valued and considered. By promoting an environment where board members feel comfortable sharing ideas and discussing issues openly, you can enhance the quality of board discussions and ensure that decisions are well-rounded and robust.

This also helps to avoid unnecessary conflict, which is vital. According to Julie Adamen, President of Adamen Inc., “Internal conflicts can cripple a Board’s ability to function effectively. When factions are at odds, decision-making becomes difficult, and progress stalls. Healthy Boards work collaboratively and address disputes constructively.” 

3. Optimise your board meetings

Poorly managed board meetings can severely hinder board performance. Disorganised agendas, a lack of focus, and inefficient time management often lead to unproductive discussions, delayed decisions, and frustration among board members. Over time, this can erode the board’s effectiveness and its ability to govern strategically.

To optimise board meetings, planning is essential. Chairpeople should ensure that agendas are clear, focused, and shared in advance so that members can prepare properly. Time management is also critical: allotting specific durations for each agenda item and sticking to them helps maintain focus. 

Structuring meetings with a balance of discussion, decision-making, and follow-up actions ensures the meeting’s productivity and strategic value. Additionally, chairpeople should promote active participation from all members, encouraging diverse perspectives and facilitating open discussion.

Sherpany offers a comprehensive solution to streamline the entire board meeting process . Our platform helps boards optimise both preparation and execution, ensuring that meetings are more efficient, allowing boards to focus on high-level decision-making and strategic planning.

4. Account for succession planning and board composition

Succession planning is vital for ensuring long-term board effectiveness. A well-planned succession process ensures continuity of leadership, mitigates risks associated with sudden departures, and helps the board remain focused on its strategic goals. Without adequate succession planning, boards may face leadership vacuums, which can disrupt governance and decision-making processes.

Best practices for identifying and nurturing board talent include regular evaluations of current members’ skills and identifying gaps that may arise in the future. Chairpeople should work with the board to create a talent pipeline, actively seeking and developing potential candidates who can step into key roles as needed. This may involve mentoring and training current board members or reaching out to external candidates with the requisite skills and experience.

Ensuring diversity within the board is also critical. A board with the right mix of skills, experiences, and perspectives is more likely to generate innovative solutions and avoid groupthink. As Ariecho Gros, Vice Chairperson at Children With Voices, explains “The goal of boardroom diversity is to enhance decision-making by leveraging a broad array of insights and experiences, thereby improving the company's governance, fostering innovation, and better reflecting the diverse stakeholders and customer base the company serves.”
 

5. Embrace technology and innovation

The role of technology in board management has evolved rapidly, transforming how boards operate and make decisions. As the complexity of governance increases, the use of digital tools has become essential in ensuring that boards remain agile, informed, and efficient. By embracing technology, boards can enhance operations, streamline processes, and enable more strategic decision-making.

Board management software like Sherpany helps chairpeople organise meetings, distribute documents securely, and manage workflows with ease. Ensuring real-time collaboration enables board members to stay connected, share information quickly, and participate in decision-making, even when they are dispersed globally. Secure cloud-based document storage ensures that sensitive documents are protected while being accessible at any time.

Looking ahead, AI and data analytics are poised to revolutionise the future of board management. AI can automate routine tasks such as minutes preparation and document summarisation, freeing up valuable time for chairpeople to focus on strategic leadership. 

AI-driven insights can also help boards make more informed decisions by analysing vast amounts of data and identifying trends or risks. In addition, robust data security measures and encryption technology are essential to protect sensitive board information in an increasingly digitised world.

Collaboration tools, coupled with AI, will reshape how boards interact and function. Virtual meetings, predictive insights, and seamless integration across digital platforms will allow boards to operate with greater flexibility, speed, and accuracy. Boards who embrace these technological advancements can ensure that their boards remain competitive, efficient, and well-prepared for the future of governance.

6. Foster continuous evaluation and improvement

Regular self-assessments and performance reviews are essential for ensuring that boards operate at their highest potential. Just as organisations continuously evaluate their performance to drive growth and efficiency, boards must also reflect on their effectiveness to identify areas for improvement. 

As Michele Kythe Lim, President of The Institute of Corporate Directors in Malaysia explains, “The role of a board director is demanding, requiring continuous education, a deep understanding of current issues, and a commitment to governance and operational oversight.“ By fostering a culture of continuous evaluation, chairpeople can ensure that the board remains agile, responsive, and focused on achieving its strategic objectives.

Best practices for assessing board effectiveness include conducting annual performance reviews where both individual board members and the board as a whole are evaluated. These assessments should focus on areas such as decision-making, collaboration, meeting productivity, and overall governance. Anonymous surveys or third-party facilitators can help create a more transparent and honest assessment environment, ensuring that feedback is constructive and actionable.

Futureproof your board management with Sherpany

Improving board management is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process that requires a commitment to continuous improvement, strategic thinking, and effective governance practices. 

By fostering a culture of open dialogue, leveraging technology (like Sherpany), ensuring diversity and inclusion, and maintaining a forward-looking perspective, you can enhance your approach to board management and level-up decision-making capabilities drastically.

Incorporating these strategies into your board’s practices will help create a more effective and strategically aligned board that can drive sustainable success for your organisation. As the business landscape continues to evolve, the ability to make timely, informed, and effective decisions at the highest level will be a critical determinant of long-term success.

If you’re ready to take board management to the next level, book a free demo with one of our meeting experts today. 

Robert Mitson

About the author

Robert is passionate about shaping and communicating value, and in his work as English Content Specialist he creates insight to help leaders across Europe to make every meeting count.