Working with the Board

Overview

Course duration: 1 day.

This course is run in partnership with JSB.

This half-day interactive workshop will equip you with the skills and knowledgeto build a rapport with your board, communicate effectively with key players, and understand the decision making process and ultimately exert influence and get support for your ideas and plans.

Is it right for me?

Designed for senior managers, department heads, line managers and anyone else who may have to interact and influence their Executive Board or Board of Directors.

What will I learn?

By the end of this workshop you will be able to:

• Identify the language shifts needed to improve your ability to influence at the most senior level
• Better understand the ‘top down’ view
• Identify how to best focus the content of discussions, proposals and presentations to facilitate decision-making
• Develop an understanding of how and why communication gaps occur
• Understand more about the group dynamics of decision making
• Benefit from case study based learning to determine how you would deal with challenging scenarios
• Learn how to be less ‘function focused’ and more business focused
• Identify how to best prepare the way for proposals and presentations

What will it cover?

Understanding influencers on Board decision-making

• Environmental (PESTEL)
• Company life cycle and appetite
• Leadership and leadership style
• Personality style
• Group dynamics

Case study – Should I take this to the board?

• Assessing risk and appetite for specific initiatives

Communicating with the Board

• Life from the top – perspectives of senior leadership
• Executive vs non executive perspectives
• Assessing your influencing position the API model – manage the gaps
• Pre meeting engagement
• Aligning your language and tone
• Building a business wide case – avoiding the functional focus
• Balancing detail with perspective

Case Study – Aligning your communication style

Working in small groups to produce a ‘Dragons Den’ 60 second idea pitch

Managing tough situations – an open learning discussion

• Working with a non responsive board
• Dealing with robust discussion
• Respectfully challenging viewpoints
• Managing the unexpected questions