In theory, the difficult bit about being a NED is supposed to be weighing the numerous, important and complex decisions that have to be taken, having first read the relevant, informative Board papers.
But in practice, figuring out what the Board papers are trying to tell you is frequently half the problem.
Although Board and Committee papers have improved in recent years, familiar challenges remain too lengthy and you are swamped; too brief and you have to read between the lines to see what’s not there. And then you have the problem of papers that inadvertently encourage confirmation bias, or group-think; there may be deliberate “steering” on the part of the author(s), and all the rest.
There is a bit of an art in spotting the traps in Board papers, so this recent article by Chris Matthews at Sutherlands looks at some of the most common, and some possible solutions.
To read more please click the link above.