Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has this rule: no meeting should be so large that two pizzas can’t feed the whole group. This is, of course, a shorthand method for ensuring that, as is often the case with big groups, no one’s ideas get drowned out. So is Bezos on to something or just hungry? We looked into it and, spoiler alert, there’s math involved. You’ve been warned. Continue reading
NGT and You: Effective Governance Through Nominal Group Technique
Directorpoint President John Peinhardt has said that “brainstorming is the separation of idea generation and idea evaluation”. There is, perhaps, no better way of maximizing the benefits of brainstorming in the decision making-process than NGT. Nominal group technique (NGT) is a form of structured small-group discussion designed to more effectively and efficiently reach a consensus. Continue reading
All About It: Delaware Incorporation
Delaware is much more than just the “Diamond State”. When it comes to incorporating your business, it may just be a diamond in the rough. Let’s take a closer look at why Delaware incorporation is increasingly becoming a no-brainer for organizations across the country in a new series we’re calling All About It—where we dive deep into the topics that fascinate us the most!
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Fast Facts on Delaware Incorporation
Spend an hour researching the process of incorporating a business, the state of Delaware is bound pop up once or twice. Delaware is considered something of a haven for businesses in the United States, giving companies flexibility in formation, low tax rates, and a streamlined court system with which to resolve disputes. If you’re interested in learning more about how Delaware’s General Corporation law came to be, check out the latest article in our series, All About It, where we dive deep into the topics that fascinate us the most.
If you’ve only got time for the brass tacks, we’ve still got you covered. Check out the fast facts on Delaware Incorporation below!
Boardroom Information Security Questions
More than ever before, boards are faced with the daunting task to ensure their company is protected in the event of an online attack. Just a decade or so ago, boardroom information security questions regarding digital risk rarely made it into the agenda.
Instead, companies instructed c-suite leaders to deal with the duty of establishing and maintaining cybersecurity standards.
As larger data breaches have wreaked havoc on major organizations, however, board members have begun to recognize their important role in risk management for board information security.
In order to maintain a proactive approach, we recommend that directors ask a lot of questions—these included:
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What e-Residency Means for Your Board
In 2014, Estonia launched a virtual residency program which grants a digital identity to entrepreneurs across the globe. While this digital identity is linked to a physical authentication card, it doesn’t serve as a passport. However, an Estonian digital identity act, in a sense, as a “passport to the digital world”.
Estonian e-Residents have access to the country’s vast network of business and financial services. This includes the ability to start, manage, and grow an international business from anywhere in the world. This innovative approach to international business has sparked the interest of many a progressive board member.
Let’s take a closer look at what Estonia’s e-Residency program means for your business and your board.
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California Quota Law: Empowerment or Impediment?
A new California law aimed at breaking the glass ceiling has become the buzz of boardrooms across the country. On Sunday, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill, passed by state legislators in August, requiring all publicly-traded companies headquartered in California to include at least one female board member by the end of the year.
By the end of 2021, boards with five members must include two women and boards with six members must include three or more—and “inclusion” is the operative word, here.
Does Your Board Need an Entrepreneur?
Board members tend to have lots of experience in at least one of these three areas: financial expertise, industry-specific knowledge, or operational management. Over the past couple of decades, though, companies have become more interested in diversifying their boardroom—both in race and gender as well as in expertise.
Today, you’ll find individuals with backgrounds in marketing, IT, and human resources in addition to the “classic” board member tracks.
The latest trend, however, is adding someone with an entrepreneurial background to your team of directors, and we’re big fans of this movement.
Here’s what an entrepreneur can bring to the table:
A focus on long-term, strategic thinking
Boards are constantly being pulled between short term goal-oriented oversight and long term, strategically focused planning. Entrepreneurs are generally going to default to strategic thinking and will help pull your board out of conversations that should be left to your company’s C-suite.
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Shareholder Activism: What Board Members Need to Know
Shareholder activism plays a pivotal role in the evolution of corporate America’s public companies. In fact, the listed companies that shareholders targeted in
2013 “had an average market capitalization of $10 billion.”
That’s some serious power when it comes to influencing major corporations in the United States.
But what does shareholder activism really mean? To put it simply, shareholder activism occurs when an individual (or an entity) uses their equity stake in a corporation to put pressure on the company to make specific changes.
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Setting Strong Goals for a Board of Directors
Setting strong goals is one of the most important directives a board has throughout the year. We’ve put together a collection of ideas and strategies for setting strong goals.
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