Onboarding or On boarding? If you are part of a team that gets new employees acquainted with their roles in the company, the term you are looking for is onboarding. In this sense, onboard can be a noun or a verb. At the end of the day, however, it is important to be clear that the challenges and tasks discussed in this chapter are those of the board, not of individual directors. While each individual may have a distinct contribution to make, it is the collective responsibility of the board to ensure the company’s successful operation. Tasks of the board and indicators of good practice Establish vision, mission and values

It is, of course, impossible to list every task that each individual board of directors has to carry out. Each has to consider its own situation and circumstances. For example, small privately owned companies might not be concerned with many of the issues that preoccupy large listed companies. Many times over the years we’ve had people messaging us to say you’ve posted that just at the right time. It’s usually when we’ve posted something like the Don’t Delete Yourself poem. We know what that means,’ adds Redpath who, when working as a Tube driver, once witnessed a suicide on his line. ‘There’s a lot of people who don’t use social media or go on the Tube who could use that book. That’s our hope for it.’ Delegate authority to management, and monitor and evaluate the implementation of policies, strategies and business plans. Debbie was appointed FA Chair and Leader of Council in January 2022. She also chairs the FA Nominations Committee and sits on the FA Remuneration Committee. She is also non-executive chair of Visa Europe Limited, comparethemarket.com, and White Stuff Limited. Writing the All On The Board quotes has become a second full-time job for Redpath and Chopra, but they have no plans of stopping any time soon. ‘There’s so much that needs writing about in the world right now. There’s a lot of darkness and people need something to feel better about. The boards help provide that,’ says Redpath.Sir David Walker, in his 2009 review of governance at major banks, argued for less emphasis to be placed on the independence of nonexecutive directors for the sake of it and for greater weight to be given to relevant financial industry experience. Independence in name was less important than ‘the quality of independence of mind and spirit, of character and judgement’. A board is a group of elected or appointed individuals. They’re all responsible for the governance and strategic direction of an organisation, and hold legal liability.

This is a brilliant, personal primer for board members on how to combine best practice and process with emotional intelligence and the human factor. It’s like a long, lively conversation with a warm, empathetic, very experienced and astute fellow trustee.’

Actually, the answer to both of those questions is the same. On board and onboard have distinct usage cases, and both of those examples just happened to be situations where on board is correct. A book with a difference. It recognises that self-awareness and emotional, social and cultural intelligence are at the core of exemplary leadership.’ If the executive directors have a collective interest in any matter that goes to the board, the non-executives may effectively be left in control. This situation is commonly seen where a bid for the company is received from the management team, or from a private equity group with management involvement. The executives can play no part in the decision, and it will be for the independent directors to decide alone whether to recommend the bid to shareholders. You will also be asked to outline, in 500 words or less, previous experience you have which could be relevant in a board context. You can include experience from both inside and outside the workplace in this question.

Dr Andrew Purkis, trustee, Directory of Social Change, former Charity Commission and board member and former chair or vice-chair of seven UK charities they hold cross-directorships or have significant links with other directors through involvement in other companies or bodies (this works against the ‘old boys’ club’ method of appointing non-executives: George is finance director at company A and sits as a non-executive on the board of company B; Harry is chief executive at company B and sits as a non-executive at company A); To make an application please submit a completed application form by noon (BST) on Wednesday 27 September 2023.Ultimately, however, it is up to the board to decide who ‘qualifies’. The board is expected to consider the above – and, indeed, any other factors that may impair independent judgment – but none of them is to be thought of as grounds for automatic ‘exclusion’. It may be that an individual is judged to have the strength of character and integrity to remain unaffected by circumstances that, in theory, compromise their independence. To be eligible, each applicant must belong to one or more of the protected groups which are targeted by this programme: must simultaneously be entrepreneurial and drive the business forward while keeping it under prudent control

Our games make for a great group night-out to remember and are also ideal for stag-do’s, hen-do’s, birthday parties and team-building activities. Monitor relations with shareholders and relevant stakeholders by the gathering and evaluation of appropriate information. Where the executive director has an intimate knowledge of the company, the NED may be expected to have a wider perspective of the world at large. Where the executive director may be better equipped to provide an entrepreneurial spur to the company, the NED may have more to say about ensuring prudent control. This book tells it like it is on a charity board and is full of wisdom and practical tips, delivered with Debra’s trademark verve. Even a small dose will make you a better trustee.’There should be a clear division of responsibilities at the head of the company between the running of the board and the executive responsibility for the running of the company’s business. No one individual should have unfettered powers of decision”– main principle A.2. is expected to be focused on the commercial needs of its business while acting responsibly towards its employees, business partners and society as a whole Marks & Spencer is a rare case of a major company where the roles of chairman and chief executive have been combined.