Our Approach

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Our approach is characterised by facilitating a thorough self-review process. We prioritise collaborative engagement to identify areas of success and offer constructive recommendations for improvement. As one client's company secretary aptly put it:

“Your approach comes across very much as you facilitating the board's own review of itself rather than you conducting an external ‘evaluation’. This approach works very well and avoids the needless fear and hostility public examinations bring."

To achieve this, we follow a three-step process:

Initial Engagement:

• We meet the chair and company secretary to understand the review's objectives and the current priorities of the board.
• We observe board and committee meetings.
• Rather than use questionnaires, we conduct an in-depth 1-on-1 interview with each board member and others, while drawing also on our team’s wealth of experience.

Board and Committee Review:

• We provide each interviewee with their interview report for sign-off. Once these are returned, a draft report is prepared.
• The draft report is moderated by another member of the Conseo team. 
• Once moderated, the draft report is sent in confidence to the company secretary for a factual check and primary review.
• Next, we meet the chair and company secretary together to discuss the final report, before it is circulated to the whole board.

Individual Director Evaluation:

• This is a paper-based exercise whereby directors assess their own and their peers' performance against predefined statements.
• A short report is prepared for each director based on combined information from all directors.
• Each director receives a copy of their report and a copy is sent to the chair, who has a 1-on-1 discussion with each director. The chair’s report is sent to the senior independent director for them to discuss 1-on-1. Outcomes are then reported to the nomination committee.

Fees and Timescale:

* We operate on a fixed-price contract, covering all aspects of our review plus a six-month post-engagement period.

* Depending on directors' availability, each assignment typically spans 9 to 12 weeks.

Intellectual Property and Terms of Engagement:

* We retain intellectual property in all work products to preserve board members’ and other interviewees’ confidentiality. If a prospective client does not agree to this stipulation, we will not pitch for the assignment.

* To assure our independence: (a) our services are confined to offering board performance reviews; (b) any connection with a prospective client or its directors and officers is notified to the company secretary; and (c) we will not accept more than two consecutive assignments from any client.

* Conseo looks to the client to secure individuals’ consent for retaining interview data.

* We ask to review the chair approved draft board minutes of our presentation to the board and relevant sections of the governance report in the annual report.

Board and Committee Development:

Conseo Board Review has teamed up with Vyla Rollins, an award-winning organisational psychologist, organisational development adviser and executive coach for individuals in board, individual director, C-Suite, and emerging leader roles. Vyla will become involved if a company wishes to explore board development interventions /activities to increase board or committee effectiveness following a board performance review. 

Conclusion:

With over two decades of experience, the Conseo team possesses a wealth of knowledge in conducting board performance reviews and navigating diverse boardroom dynamics. Our collaborative approach is tailored  to the unique needs and concerns of each client, ensuring a meaningful, constructive and insightful review.