I am often asked for advice on how directors can ensure they discharge their duties effectively (and legally). For a board to be effective in its responsibilities, it must oversee the operations of the entity, make sure that it delivers its required outputs and operates in an ethical and appropriate way. We all know that organisations don’t make decisions - people do. Corporate governance is the mechanism by which those people (you as director), are held to account for the decisions you make in pursuit of your organisation’s objectives.

Below are my top 5 key outputs you should be focusing on - get your FREE copy here.

KEY OUTPUT 1: Strategy & Direction

What is the organisation you are governing and what is its purpose? When we consider what your key outputs are, it is important to consider your governance role in context. These answers will define what your corporate strategy is. Most of these answers can be found in your organisation's Constitution. If you are not already familiar with it, this is your first port of call. Your organisation’s purpose is your key output, then all of your strategic decisions should be in pursuit of this purpose.

KEY OUTPUT 2: Stakeholders

Boards, Members and Executives go into an organisation’s “funnel” and governance comes out. Your outside stakeholders, whether they are creditors, employees, customers, shareholders or perhaps the local wildlife population (depending on your organisation) – are affected by every decision you make. Key consideration ALWAYS needs to be given to your stakeholders as part of your organisation’s governance process.

KEY OUTPUT 3: Risk Management

Risk management does not mean ‘risk avoidance’. How you, together with your board manage the risks of your organisation will depend largely on your risk appetite. As a board member, one of your key outputs is to be proactive and manage risk. This means you need to be able to:

Recognise and identify potential exposure to loss or harm
Assess risk by determining the likely effect, value and sensitivity of your exposure
Evaluate the likelihood of that event occurring
Determine a course of action or policy (accept/reduce/assign/avoid)
Monitor and Report on the ongoing exposure and effectiveness of your risk policy

KEY OUTPUT 4: Leadership

Good governance is good leadership. This equates to:

a clear vision of your organisation’s purpose
a board that is both diverse and unified in its pursuit of that purpose; and
a clear division of responsibility between the executive branch of your organisation and its management.

This leadership structure is created when the board is effective. All the members of your executive team should have the appropriate balance of skills, experience and knowledge of the organisation necessary to effectively discharge your responsibilities. When your board is effective and empowered, it is also responsible for the execution of the organisation’s vision and decisions are accountable to the stakeholders of the organisation. The board can present an accurate and honest assessment of the organisation, maintaining sound internal controls and being transparent in everything it does – from appointing new members to disclosing conflicts and establishing trust with stakeholders.

KEY OUTPUT 5: Role Clarity

Boards are responsible for the compliance and performance of the organisation, strategy formulation, supervision and accountability. The role of the company secretary can vary somewhat from organisation to organisation. In some organisations, they will be responsible for shareholder communication and in other organisations, this may be undertaken by the finance director. In many organisations, the role is often undertaken by the organisation’s lawyer or someone with a solid understanding of the legal processes and protocols required under the Corporations Act and ASIC rules. You can download your own PDF version of this article here.

Need More Information?

Acting in the role of director has many implications. If you have any questions about your duties as a director feel free to get in touch with the You Legal team. We have a range of resources available to help you ensure you're role as a director is a positive and successful one.

Welcome To The Board: The Top Five Outputs Of An Effective Board