The thought alone can create a degree of stress. A business’s Board plays an invaluable role in governance, oversight and accountability. A good board always looks out for its shareholders. A GREAT board goes beyond that, they have a vested interest in STAKEHOLDERS as well. Customers. Suppliers. Employees. Community. Lenders. But it’s the responsibility of the management team to report on these areas and generate the discussion needed to paint a full view of the business, beyond just the numbers.
This past month I flew to San Francisco for our annual Board Meeting. The cross country flight gave me plenty of time to compile the information, well over 6 hours. Facts, figures, results, accomplishments, and missed opportunities.
All very important work, and it was a great use of the cross country flight time.
But as often happens, when I put things away and wake up the next morning, something comes to mind that should be dropped/added/modified. This board meeting was no different.
The morning of the board meeting I woke up early (easy on East Coast biological time!) and cobbled together what I call the “LM Foods Year in Pictures, Heart & Hustle.” Preparing this was one of the most enjoyable 30-45 minutes of the year.
This became slide #2 of the presentation. Right after a simple “truth” slide that provides Context. Here’s that slide:
That’s all the prep work. 2 simple slides, no #s. All people.
The actual meeting with my Board Exceeded my expectations. We talked about the year in pictures for a good % of the meeting.
You can’t get any simpler than that.