Thoughts and Ideas

28 February 2012
Boards of directors: less oversight, more foresight?

With the revelation of each new failure caused by  "strategic short-sightedness," as illustrated by the recent Kodak, HP, RIM and Blockbuster failures, companies must rethink their governance systems and in particular the role of the board of directors.

20 January 2012
Davos: If you come in with your pre-conceptions, the only thing you'll fall in love with are your own assumptions and biases

A recent article by Anya Schiffrin "Confessions of a Davos Wife" (see here)  on Reuter's website sparked my interest. Since the site seem to have censured my comment on the blog ( here goes freedom of expression... Note from author: I stand corrected: after this article was published on Competia's site, and picked up in a number of pinboards, Reuters finally allowed my comments on the blog. Thanks Reuters ! ), I thought I'd publish it here. I can use also the excuse to introduce what will go on in Davos at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 for me this year.

18 October 2011
"Because I Dare" - Women on Boards

As women flooded the "Women on Boards Bootcamp" sessions at the Women's Forum which took place in Deauville this week, I could not help but reflect that the pool of women candidates willing to sit on boards was indeed rich, diverse, and experienced."Because I dare" could best summarize the discussions - and the general mood: women need to take a much more aggressive approach if they want to set foot in the boardroom. They need to gain self confidence to seek out those board positions, leverage their relevant experiences in governance, and stop to be simply waiting for the opportunities to be presented to them.

3 October 2011
Boards and CEOs: Introducing the "Strategic Blindspots Index"©

As industries become increasingly complex, it is more difficult than ever to govern companies. As an executive or a board member, you are often responsible for identifying where the company might have underestimated a strategic risk, or where you are failing to see a strategic opportunity. Competia has developed over the past few years a systematic approach to enable management teams to examine your company's strategy and lead discussions around potential "blindspots" - *untapped opportunities and overlooked risks*. We are now introducing the* "Strategic Blindspots Index"©*, a systematic method to assess the risk of a strategic blindspot developing, and a way to compare a company's risk profile with industry peers.

8 September 2011
When Social Media Matters: a Guide to the Board of Directors for better Governance

In 2009, the  Deloitte Ethics and Workplace Survey explored attitudes about social networking and pointed out the significance of social media for board of directors.* 58 percent of executives felt that the reputational risk associated with social networking should be a board room issue*. Yet,  only 17 percent of executives said that they currently had programs in place to monitor and mitigate reputational risks that may arise with social network usage. Boards have since largely left it to management to figure out its social media strategy. When informally asked in a boardroom, Competia found that *less than 5% of directors* admit having ever used and participated in social media. Mistrust is widespread and the issue of privacy is of utmost concern. The implications of social media for the board far outreach reputation risk. As the use of social media is rapidly spreading and challenging every single company business model and strategy, it is time for directors to understand the implications for corporate governance.