TALKING
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Having a tech platform in place to automate those tasks can help governance professionals focus on governance best practices .
It ’ s clear from these varied critical responsibilities why it ’ s essential to implement a technology platform that can streamline the board meeting itself ; for example , a platform that allows board members to handle voting items first before going to management reports makes it much easier for participants to follow along . It ' s also helpful to have a platform that can handle last-minute changes , so that such revisions are easy to make and board members are kept updated . new board members to access all the information they need in advance .
For example , a platform with a centralized resource library allows governance professionals to store important notices , alerts , onboarding and educational materials . They can then feature links to the documents in a ‘ welcome message ’ or ‘ news ’ section to increase their visibility among onboarding and / or current board members .
Board meetings and practices
When considering a platform , governance professionals also need one that allows them to securely prepare for meetings from anywhere and facilitate regular self-assessments for the board . A ‘ scheduler ’ feature , for example , can help with coordinating and rescheduling meetings . An optimum platform will also decentralize and streamline the process of assembling meeting materials , assign user permissions for materials and use integrations to embed video conference links .
Communications and relationships
In addition to their important role concerning board education , governance professionals also are expected to take the lead in a number of areas related to board meetings and practices .
These include ensuring that there are current board job descriptions and a decision authority matrix in place to inform about defined board roles , responsibilities and designated authorities ; knowing how to work with chairs and executives to develop agendas and implement board meeting processes ; and populating board committees with experts and support .
Some additional duties for governance professionals related to board meetings and practices include board competencies and succession planning , board documentation and compliance and board assessment .
Governance professionals are often the linchpin in facilitating timely communication – both formal and informal – between the board chair , CEO and directors . They served the role of a neutral party when board political issues arise , but they also must be vocal advocates for governance best practices .
Governance professionals additionally play a key role in enabling board chairs to maximize their performance by providing appropriate support . Finally , board directors rely on governance professionals as an indispensable point of contact , providing support and assistance to individual board members .
Having a tech platform in place to automate those tasks can help governance professionals focus on governance best practices . The right tools can facilitate conversations between the various key players , ensuring all parties are supported . For example , an ideal platform streamlines board decision-making by enabling users to create dedicated virtual ‘ workrooms ’ for certain topics or initiatives , where members can access polls , surveys and other core collaboration features .
In summary , pursuing governance excellence in today ’ s digital environment requires a solid understanding of the intricacies and demands of the modern-day governance professional ’ s role . Having a robust technology platform can make all the difference in the work of governance professionals – allowing for good governance in their core responsibilities of board education , board meetings and practices , and communications and relationships – so that the entire board benefits . p
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