1. Whyisthestressofputtingtogethertheboardpresentationsointense?
“Whatmakesboardpresentationssochallengingtoprepareforisnotthedelugeofdatathatgetsassembledfor
discussion,”saysAnettD.Grant,presidentofExecutiveSpeaking,Inc.,aglobalspeakingcoachingcompanyfoundedin
1979andheadquarteredinMinneapolis,MN.“Executivesatthislevelaremastersofdataanalysisandsynthesis.”
“Therealchallenge,”saysGrant,“isaddressingalltheagendasthatarewovenintoeachboardmeeting.”
OneagendaistheboaOneagendaistheboardmembers’needtodemonstratetheirownaddedvalue.Becauseoftheemergenceofboard
memberperformancereviews,boardmembersfeelmorecompelledtoquestionandaddopinions— eveninareaswhere
theylackexpertise.Preparingforthesequestionsisoftenchallengingbecausetheyrangefromnew,interestinganglesto
totallyoff-the-wallinquiries.
AnotheragendathatiswovenintotheboardpresentationistheCEO’sdesiretocontrolvisibility.Whileinthis
SaSarbanes-Oxleyenvironmenttherearemoreandmorerequirementsfortransparencyinbusinessreporting,thereareno
deinedrulesforexposingfunctionalleaderstotheboard.Onoccasion,CEOs’maylimittheexposureofleaderswithin
theircompanytosecuretheirownpower.“OnedramaticexampleIencounteredrecently,”saysGrant,“waswitha
companywhoseCEOkepthispeopleoutoftheboardroomandthensuddenlyquit.WhentheChairmanmettheCOO,he
voicedconcernaboutappointingtheCOOtointerimCEO.Theboarddidn’tknowhim.‘Wherehadhebeenforthepast
sevenyears?’theChairmanasked.”
AnotheragendathatisAnotheragendathatiswovenintotheboardpresentationistheCEO’sgoaltodemonstratealignment.Theseniorteam
hastobealignedwiththeCEO’svisionandstrategies,sopresentationsaregivenformats.PowerPointsarereviewedagain
andagain.Theanxietyemergeswhenexecutiveshaveoutlyingissuesthatpokeholesinthissolidfront.Executivesare
facedwiththedilemma,particularlyingreyareas,abouthowtospeakupatjusttherightleveltobealignedbutalsotobe
differentiated.Forexample,cantheChiefTechnologyOficertalkabouttheprogresstheCEOhashighlightedonthenew
prproductlaunchwithoutraisingconcernsaboutsigniicantproductdelaysthathaveemerged?Howmuchdoestheboard
reallyneedtoknow?“Thechallengeofdeininganinternaloperationalissueandacriticalcorporateriskissueisoftena
majorstruggleforexecutivesfacingtheirboards,giventoday’semphasisonopendisclosure,”saysGrant.
Anotheragendathatiswovenintotheboardpresentationistheexecutive’sneedtocapitalizeonboardmeetingstoshow
leadershipforupwardcareermobility.Executivesareunderpressuretoshowcasetheirtalentforstrategicthinking,
innovationandpeopledevelopment.Thechallengeofthisrequirementisthatalloftheseleadershiptraitsmustbecome
visibleinpresentationsthatarecompressedintimeandoverloadedinanalysis.Findingthosemomentstodemonstrate
leadershippresencethatismemorableandremarkableisnoteasyinaifteenminutereviewofabusinessthatemploys
thousands,generatesmillions,andspanstheglobe.
“PreparingfortheboardpresentationsismuchmorecomplexthanputtingdataintoPowerPoints,”saysGrant.“Thereal
challengeisaddressingalloftheseagendaswithjusttherightlevelofexposure,justtherightlevelofdisclosureandjust
therighttone.”