The Governance Guys

Understanding how your Board can be effective begins with an assessment of your Board’s architecture. Author, consultant, and non-Executive Director Mark A. Pfister joins us to talk about what he means by the architecture of a Board and how individual Board members need to meet the demands of their roles in order to serve the … Continue reading Episode 23: Understanding the key elements of an effective Board with “the Board Architect”, Mark A. Pfister

When you sit on a Board, part of your role is to deal with difficult situations. When inevitable challenges and dilemmas arise, the organization will benefit from Directors who show courage, wisdom, humility, and a strong commitment to the Board. Join us as consultant, author, experienced Director, and frequent media commentator Julie Garland McLellan guides … Continue reading Episode 22: Dealing with Dilemmas that Directors face with Julie Garland McLellan

How can a Board build trust in its organization and broader community? Can a Board really monitor and even measure trust? How? Rahul Bhardwaj, CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors, sits down to discuss with us the critical role that all Boards play in rebuilding trust in their organizations. The ICD’s recently published Trust … Continue reading Episode 21: The role of Boards in building Trust, with Rahul Bhardwaj, CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors

Preparing for a Board meeting is a critical part of your work as a Director. When done well it can ensure that the Board fulfills its responsibility to provide oversight, insight, and foresight for the organization. Join us as we sit down with Scott Baldwin, Co-Founder of DirectorPrep.com, to hear from him about how to … Continue reading Episode 20: How to PREP for a Board meeting: a conversation with Scott Baldwin, Co-Founder of DirectorPrep.com

Boards need to be intentional about succession planning for new Directors and for key leadership positions. How should Boards assess their current capacity, seek out the right people to join the Board, and raise up leaders within the Board?

Can culture be managed? Measured? Improved? Is it a function of leadership? Join us as we chat with Dr. Debra Brown, President and CEO of Governance Solutions, as she shares her research findings and wealth of Board experience related to organizational culture. Her insights show that culture can not only be managed well but that … Continue reading Episode 18: Taking the mystery out of culture – with Dr. Debra Brown

It is widely accepted that Board members should have a term limit and in this episode Paul convinces Andrew that this topic is not only important but actually pretty exciting. Term limits offer an opportunity for Boards to develop leaders within the Board, plan out skill development, and help Board members focus on making an … Continue reading Episode 17: Why Term Limits are so important (and why Paul is so passionate about them)

Are you wondering about how to put together a plan to develop the governance skills of your Board members? Are you wondering about how you might increase your competency as a Board Director? Paul and Andrew discuss their experiences and some strategies to consider in your Board development plan. What skills are you hoping to … Continue reading Episode 16: Why – and how – to develop the skillset of your Board

Paul and Andrew chat about some important lessons to be learned regarding a recent governance issue that was reported in the news. Plus we respond to two listener questions about Board Orientations and what to expect in your Board meeting package. Email in your questions to governanceguys@gmail.com

If you were joining a dance group then you would want to know what kind of dance the group practices. If you were joining a football team then you would need to know the type of offence and defence the team uses. When you join a Board you need to understand its governance model. Boards … Continue reading Episode 14: Understanding Board Governance Models with Marion Thomson Howell

So you’ve sorted out your organization’s purpose, mission, vision, and values. Then you wrote a magnificent strategic plan that clearly aligns these elements and considers the challenges of your external environment. Now what? Well now you get to track your progress – a step all too often missed for many organizations and Boards. Enter Valerie … Continue reading Episode 13: How your Board can measure progress with Valerie Sluth

A key document for many Boards is the Strategic Plan for their organization. But what is strategy and how should the Board engage in setting strategy and overseeing its implementation? Merv Hillier is the founder of consulting firm Nuvision. He is an educator, CEO, and Board member and he sat down with us to talk … Continue reading Episode 12: Strategy and the Board of Directors with Merv Hillier

Organizations use the term “values” in strategic plans, policies, annual reports, and any number of other places. But what is a “value” and how should values play a role in conversations and decision-making at the Board table? Dr. David Malloy, Principal of King’s University College, is a philosopher and an expert on values & leadership. … Continue reading Episode 11: Defining Values with Dr. David Malloy

We asked 5 governance experts what question every Board member should ask or be prepared to ask at a Board meeting. Check out what each expert had to offer:Fred Galloway, President of F.J. Galloway & Associates;Jim Brown, author of The Imperfect Board Member and Principal Consultant with Strive;Gillian Kernaghan, CEO and President of St. Joseph’s … Continue reading Episode 10: 5 Experts tell us 5 Questions that every Board member should ask

This week we are joined by Chris Makuch, Vice-President of MaisonBrison, to talk about the importance of shareholder engagement and Boards under stressful situations. This was a great learning experience for us. Chris opened our eyes to the complex issues that arise for Boards related to this topic and it is a fascinating area to … Continue reading Episode 9: The Importance of Shareholder Engagement with Chris Makuch, Vice President – MaisonBrison

How does Cathy Brothers, CEO of Capacity Canada and “Governance Queen”, describe what makes Boards work well and what to avoid? Find out in this episode and listen as we glean some of her wisdom gained from decades of experience advising, supporting, and participating on Boards across the country. Capacity Canada is also our resource … Continue reading Episode 8: What makes a Board great and how to avoid some common pitfalls with Cathy Brothers, CEO of Capacity Canada

Dr. Gillian Kernaghan is the President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health Care London and she has been able to animate the mission of St. Joseph’s at every level of the organization. In addition to her role at St. Joseph’s, she is the Chair of the Catholic Hospital Association of Ontario. Listen in as she … Continue reading Episode 7: Why mission matters – with Dr. Gillian Kernaghan

After reviewing listener feedback and questions, it is clear that a common concern is on the minds of lots of Board members right now. How involved should a Board be in their organization during the unpredictability of a global pandemic? Paul and Andrew invite back governance consultant Fred Galloway to answer a listener question and … Continue reading Episode 6: Guidance for Boards during a global pandemic

Jim Brown, author of The Imperfect Board Member sits down with Paul and Andrew to discuss why he thinks Boards are important, what Board members can do to step up their game, and how seven disciplines can move us towards governance excellence. Jim’s book is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008N9J50G/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 , his podcast is called “OrgHealth” … Continue reading Episode 5: The Imperfect Board Member with Jim Brown

Paul and Andrew think about great Board members (and some not-so-great behaviours) they have seen in action and put together some tips they have found helpful.

Paul and Andrew sit down with Fred Galloway to discuss why Boards matter to organizations. Fred brings his decades of experience as a governance consultant to unpack the legal importance of a Board as well as the importance of Boards to their organizations. Resources mentioned include “The Imperfect Board Member” by Jim Brown.

Paul and Andrew discuss why governance matters, including a personal story from Paul that really changed his perspective on governance.

Paul and Andrew introduce themselves and explain why they are so excited about governance and what motivated them to start this podcast. This episode tells you: What to expect from The Governance Guys What we find exciting about governance Why we thought a podcast was necessary Bonus: a great intro/outro music track!