We believe the pursuit of high business performance rightly starts in the boardroom.

​A strong sense of corporate purpose, a well-crafted strategy, and effective governance practices (boardcraft) are fundamental if high performance is to be achieved and sustained over the longer term. Boards that set strong foundations tend to perform well, and the organisations they govern are more likely to thrive as well.

Driving performance, from the boardroom

For many years now, boards, directors, shareholders, institutions and governments have sought our expertise—in corporate purpose, strategy, governance and boardcraft in particular—to improve board effectiveness and ensure organisational performance. Our proven knowledge, insight and real-world experience (a rare blend of practical leadership, advisory services, board experience and research) has proven to be invaluable to the fortunes of a wide range of enterprises, across five continents. 

Read what others say about our work.

Depending on your situation, relevant guidance takes one or more of three main forms, as follows:

Advisory services, to assist boards and directors motivated by the principles of long-term value creation determine corporate purpose; establish fit-for-purpose frameworks; make well-informed decisions, especially strategic decisions; refine practices; and, ensure performance outcomes:

• Corporate purpose and values
• Strategic thinking
• Strategy formulation
• Governance frameworks
• Boardroom dynamics
• Board practices and processes
• Board–management relations
• Coaching and mentoring​

Advisory engagements typically involve facilitated workshops, courageous conversations, practical analysis, boardroom presentations or confidential discussions (usually, a combination of these).

Briefings and workshops, to build board and director capability and effectiveness:

• Governance foundations and principles
• Characteristics of high-performing boards
  
• The board–management nexus
• Effective board contributions
• The value-creation mandate
• Board's role in strategy and strategic management
• ​Board practice: interaction and teamwork
• Board practice: reports and meeting practicalities

Every capability development session is tailored to specific learning objectives, using material from globally-reputable sources and our own research. Delivery options include briefings, highly-interactive workshops and seminars.

Independent evaluations and capability assessments, to assess current capability and inform future decisions:

• Professional practice assessments
• Board effectiveness reviews
• Performance assessments
• Strategy implementation assessments
• Policy framework reviews
• Governance practice reviews
• Board evaluations​

We use direct observation, semi-structured interview and document inspection techniques to collect information for analysis. Our sole goal is to achieve an accurate assessment. Usually, the output is a written report containing our observations and recommendations, for your consideration and to inform future decisions.

If you want to learn more about how we apply these capabilities in contextually relevant ways; require support to understand current reality, resolve a challenge, build capability or make better decisions; or, if you simply want to ask a question, please get in touch. Our discussion will be both confidential and obligation-free, of course.

A client-centred approach

Our engaging approach to providing guidance is both formative and straightforward. Our goal is to ensure the effectiveness of your board and the long-term, sustainable success of your business. We use a range of tools and techniques to stimulate critical thinking and a strategic mindset, and proven frameworks to organise insights and recommendations. Naturally (for us anyway), we share our knowledge openly.

We ask questions to build rapport and to understand your situation, concerns, challenges and, importantly, your goals and aspirations. Typically, we also ask to inspect relevant documentation, to assemble a more complete understanding and support our analysis. We also draw from our own expertise and experiences to make suggestions to enhance the ideation process, whenever it is relevant to do so. This is often an iterative process. As our understanding grows, we present insightful recommendations to help resolve the challenge you have described to us. Once you are comfortable, we step away: it is not our job to run your board or business!

​This approach is most well suited to assisting boards and directors seeking guidance to pursue big dreams quickly; boards wanting to establish or refine their governance systems and processes; boards facing significant strategic—or even viability—challenges; boards intent on ensuring their effectiveness as the apex decision-making body; and, most importantly, boards intent on realising the long-term performance of their organisation.

Values: our foundation

Our commitment to delivering value quickly and cost-effectively is built on three non-negotiable foundations:

• Trust: We treat every relationship with the utmost care and respect
• Ethics: We are committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and discretion
• Openness: We use proven methods and frameworks, and share our knowledge openly

Who have we served?

The identities of our clients is not something we broadcast publicly, as some others do. However, we can provide examples of our work, to help you assess our suitability to support you. Please contact us if you want more information about the types of organisations that have benefited from our client-centred approach, including the names of referees.

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