How Coaching Helps Multinational CEO’s Run Effective Board Meetings

In the present day business world, business leaders face more pressures than ever. And the dynamics of today’s business world requires that multinational CEOs remain on top of their game in every stratum of their jobs so as to stay ahead of contemporaries and competitors. Ideally, modern business leaders have had to contend with rapidly changing markets, technologies and workforces, increased financial and legal scrutiny . . . and more. And inability to cope in this situation can lead them to making poor or no decisions which potentially, can result in significant loss of opportunities, human and financial resources. Realizing this, most CEOs now understand that their longevity and success may depend largely on a dynamic and productive partnership with a coach.

Board meetings are the strength of the present corporate world, and businesses cannot avoid them in any way. They are one of those things that take most of executives’ time because meetings are gatherings where sensitive decisions, action, policies and steps guiding direction of the company’s business activities are formulated. Board meetings are attended by top executives from key sections of the company and whatever issues raised and agreed on are capable to make or mar the company’s progress or stability.
Moreover, board meetings are meant to help people in organizations keep up with each other and give updates on projects and deadlines. The organization feels more secure when they get a chance to sit and discuss the status of certain projects with each other.
However, meetings can turn negative when they are not properly organized. No concrete decisions can be made when a meeting is long, unproductive and boring. For instance, meeting where teams gather with no clear agenda for discussion and nobody is there to facilitate the flow of the meeting or that which is way too long and where much time is wasted and little or no time is left to implement plans and strategies discussed. All this can have untold counterproductive effects on the business well-being.
And as far as board meeting is concerned, coaching guides CEOs towards actions that can be tailored towards realization of the meeting’s primary objective of having resolutions that allows for making progress towards achieving the company’s overall objectives. Interestingly, coaching also adapts the power of certain models and theories in tutoring the executive for board meetings. Example of such models is SMART approach which helps the CEO determine if the goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time based.

Coaching provides guidance for pre- and post-meeting conducts towards making valuable contributions in the decision-making process before and during the meeting and how to take necessary post-meeting actions required for the implementation of the board resolutions.

Training and counseling received from an executive coach gives multinational CEOs insight into and understanding of the prerequisites for planning effective and productive meetings capable enough to get everyone involved ahead of time, create meeting goals that make sense to all participants present at the meeting and ultimately, proffer solutions to existing corporate challenges.