Professor Kristy Muir, CEO of the Centre of Social Impact, noted that ‘What makes good board performance is identifying clarity of purpose and who are the beneficiaries’. She went on to say that ‘It is important to look beyond profit margins… and identify how the organisation is meeting its purpose and how it is measured’. Elana Rubin also noted that ‘this is where culture comes in. Boards set the tone for how management will come to the board’.

This is about doing what you say you will do as a board and making sure that what you do and how you make decisions as a board is linked to the purpose and values of the organisation. It is the role of the board to provide ongoing and effective cultural stewardship. This applies whether you are a not-for-profit or a commercial entity.

‘Culture should be defined as the human element – mindsets and actions – that shapes why people do what they do and how they do it’

– Steve Vamos, CEO, Xero

One of the biggest challenges of the board is knowing how the organisation is meeting its purpose and how this is reflected in the culture of the organisation… how do you know what you don’t know? While much has been written about the formal measurement of culture in organisations, it’s not always easy to do. In my next article I will talk about some of the ways to measure culture in organisations.

How do you measure culture in your organisation?

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I recently facilitated a session with a group of female CEOs. It was a diverse group in terms of age and years of experience in CEO roles. We talked about many things, with a focus very much on the role of the CEO and the role of the Board, as well as the important relationship that exists between the CEO and Board, especially the Chair. There was a lot to talk about. 

What the session reinforced for me was what I have always known… regardless of how long you have been a CEO and how experienced you are, there is always a need at some time to have someone or a group of people to talk to who are independent and external to your CEO role. That could be a friend, a partner, a colleague, another CEO, a coach or mentor, or a group of people in similar roles or industries to listen, guide, advise, help problem-solve and provide support when it’s needed. 

Sometimes this can be a formal arrangement that happens on a regular basis, such as coaching and mentoring or being part of a support group, or it could be an informal arrangement that happens on a needs basis. When things get tough or overwhelming, as they sometimes do, it’s important to know you have a strategy in place to help you get through. 

Being a CEO is a challenging role, but extremely rewarding. Often there isn’t a great deal of support available for new CEOs. Those first 100 days can be tough. I have been a CEO for nearly 20 years. I love what I do, but I also know that I can’t do it alone. I know that I need a team of capable people around me at work, a supportive Board, trusted advisors who I can talk to when needed and coaches and mentors to guide me in different areas of my work. Often female CEOs juggle many roles. Sometimes the message of support is as simple as reminding us to look after ourselves and take time out to do just that.    

If you are a CEO or aspiring CEO, what support do you access when things get tough?

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The post Getting through those first 100 days as CEO… and beyond appeared first on Angie Paskevicius.

In my last post, I spoke about ‘purpose’ and its link to boards. I spoke about how clarity of purpose helps us gravitate towards directorships with organisations that are more aligned with our own purpose and values. There is a strong sense of belonging, of being more comfortable and feeling more fulfilled as a director when we know and feel that our personal values and guiding principles align with those of the organisation.

We know that understanding your personal purpose and capability is the most effective driver for successful board contributions. We also know that a well-defined and clearly communicated organisational purpose is a key contributor to organisational success.

For me, alignment between my own purpose and values and those of the organisation is critical. It’s the key driver in my due diligence research when I’m considering a board opportunity, whether we are talking about a not for profit, government or commercial board. When you do your research, you know the alignment is there when you feel the connection with what the organisation is trying to achieve and where it wants to go in the future. With this information you know immediately what value you can contribute as a director based on your experience and skills.

Sometimes it’s not easy to access the information that you need to know, as it’s not always well articulated by organisations or by people within the organisation. In many cases you may find that current directors may not be able to provide you with sufficient information to help you come to this conclusion. Yet despite the challenges, it’s important to persist to find the right fit.

In my experience, working from my purpose has helped me to clarify which types of boards I might be interested in joining and those where I know it is unlikely there will be an alignment between my own purpose and values and those of the organisation.

‘Fulfilment comes when we live our lives on purpose’ – Simon Sinek

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