Three Boardroom Gaps: Strategy, Succession & Culture

85% of directors ranked strategic and risk reviews as a top priority, yet only 56% feel their organization meets or exceeds financial growth goals.

What separates the confident boards from the rest? Those who use a 3-5 year framework to evaluate business opportunities and make decisions are 1.3 times more likely to be satisfied with organizational outcomes.

Deeply engage in board materials. This enables meaningful discussions rather than just updates.

Evaluate decisions after the fact. Take the time to understand the gap between expectations and outcomes in order to learn.

Shape future strategy. Participate with management in periodic deep dives on strategy (example given of industrials showcasing prototypes and new products).
 

Corporate culture is gaining traction. 51% of boards address it during at least half of their board meetings – up from 37% last year.

However, confidence around culture has not improved at 67%, and only 53% of boards feel they have sufficient data to assess culture.

Engage with employees first-hand. Observe customer interactions, review how the organization lives out its policies and hear employee presentations. The report gives the example of a cruise company inviting directors to spend time on the boats and learn about safety and customer service real-time.

Leverage data. Boards are increasingly focused on engaging with employee voice. Review exit survey data and platforms like Glass Door to gain an unfiltered employee perspective.