The bad news is that most boards still operate the way they always did except for changes made to meet financial and regulatory requirements. Talk with any board expert, from Jay Lorsch to Ram Charan, and they will tell you that the real performance differences needed in boardrooms occurs in the social systems or how the board members work together.

Boards need to pay more attention to several issues:

• Ensuring that directors have the competencies needed given the organization’s strategy;
• Defining the board’s role in a strategic and complete way;
• Measuring or evaluating how well the board is performing its role;
• Raising the bar on director expectations;
• Recreating how meeting time is invested;
• Revitalizing the format of information directors receive;
• Changing boardroom norms to better incorporate the value-add that directors bring to the table; and finally
• Dealing with “the lump under the carpet”…the performance issues and barriers that everyone walks around but doesn’t talk about openly.

Furr Resources deals with the issues that heighten the board’s performance quotient. If you are ready for more than just compliance, Furr Resources can support your board and its leadership in taking appropriate actions to strengthen the performance and return on investment in the board.

The best boards have been assessing their performance against best practices for years. Only since the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley has it become required or commonplace for boards.

But how effective is your process for assessment? Maybe your attorney furnished a form for you or you found one you think would work in a reference book, association guide or an article.

Furr Resources has state of the art customized instruments, refined as a result of years of experience, and helpful and provocative reports for helping boards assess the following:

• Board and Committee Performance
• Defining Board and Director Competencies
• Individual Director Self Assessments and Peer-to-Peer Assessments
• Board Assessment of CEO and Executive Performance

Furr consultants also conduct the one-to-one feedback discussions with directors when boards have completed peer- to- peer evaluations.

What kind of improvement do you see in your board’s practices as a result of your assessment? After the process, do you have a clear picture of what needs to be done differently? Do you set goals and follow through to make changes that enhance the board’s effectiveness?

Furr Resources can make a real difference in how your board operates. Clients testify about the results they achieve as a result of having Furrs’ consultants facilitate their board retreats. The Furrs have expert facilitation skills to support the board in exploring and resolving issues such as:

• What should be our strategic intent? How do we create a compelling vision? How can we differentiate ourselves in the market? What will it take to close the gap between our current state and our vision?
• How can the board become a strategic asset for the organization?
• How can the board and management better manage the boundary between their roles?
• Should we change the size of our board?
• Do we need to change the composition of our board? How do we stimulate turnover in a way that shows value to long-standing directors?
• How do we handle directors who cannot turn loose of an issue even after we have voted?
• What are the competencies we need to support the organization’s strategy?
• How can our meeting and information-sharing processes be improved?
• How do we best structure a new board?
• How do we get the commitment of the board to relocate corporate headquarters?

Another level of development occurs when boards wish to set developmental goals for themselves at their retreats. The goal setting typically results from using the assessments to define the gaps between the board’s practices and the practices of “best boards”. Furr can support your board in this type of goal setting by providing alternatives from the practices of “best boards” and how other similar boards have handled the transition from one approach to more of a best practice. Then specific goals for the board are set, and accountabilities and time frames are defined, during the board retreat.

Furr Resources supports boards with facilitating processes during which the board defines the competencies they need to plan to recruit to support the corporate strategy.

The consultants at Furr can support your board by writing governance policy that captures and conveys your corporate culture and intent as well as complying with Sarbanes-Oxley. Your policy will reflect you, not a boilerplate. Talk with us about the special process used that engages all directors in dialogue that results in increased overall director effectiveness.

Furrs’ consultants can facilitate a strategic planning process that will enable your organization to move confidently knowing you have assessed the market thoroughly and chosen a highly differentiated path forward. You will not be a “me too” player in your industry. Your board and management will not only understand the strategy, but will also be committed and aligned with each other in support of the plan.

Finally, Furr can consult with you on issues specific to your board, ranging from how to select and launch a new board to re-forming the board effectively following a merger or acquisition.

Furr Resources invites you to read the Testimonials from CEOs and Chairman about our board work. Or, read some of our articles posted on this site, and ask yourself if you see some the signs and symptoms discussed in the articles in your boardroom. Then, CALL US. We will take the time to discuss the needs, questions or issues you see and also how easy and painless it can be to address those concerns.