In this blog feature, our in-house readers share tips, anecdotes, and thoughts about topics that arise in their daily practice. This particular batch of thoughts is Part 3 about bringing in outside parties to make a presentation before the board (here’s Part 1 – and here’s Part 2):
- “The worst kind of speaker is anyone who is boring and/or does not have the gravitas or experience to educate the board.”
- “Time limits are always an issue. Also, warn your speakers not to fill the time slot if their message has been delivered and the board is ready to move on. Always leave time and be prepared for questions. I recommend a dry run with senior leadership before the real thing.”
- “We are having a cyber expert come in soon. It is board education. I have told them to give an overview and put themselves in the shoes of the board. Consider being thought-provoking and ponder ‘what can I say so that the directors are prompted to ask the right kind of questions?’ And please DO NOT make this into a commercial for your firm.”
- “For speaker types, I’ve found that subject matter experts but not necessarily legal advisors work best. Some boards prefer to keep the number of attorneys in a room limited.”
- “All speakers should be vetted for long-windedness.”
- “In general, I try to allow more time for Q&A and do a prep session (or two) for canned/planned Q&A to get the ball rolling if there does not appear to be strong engagement in the board meeting. At the end of the day, from my perspective, this depends on the type of board you have and the different personalities.”