Each year, the Institute of Directors New Zealand releases its Top 5 Issues for Directors, here’s our take on the five issues – and what they might mean for boards across Aotearoa.
We’re ending the year with a new approach to governance leadership, inspired by Brené Brown’s latest book Strong Ground.The title grabbed our attention, but the content has held it ever since — especially Brené’s explanation that leadership is a mix of “plumbing and poetry”. So
We’re excited to share that Giselle recently joined Helga Svendsen on the Take on Board podcast to talk about what it really means to create the future in the boardroom. In this engaging conversation, Giselle and Helga explore the evolving nature of governance – from
I was inspired by our recent workshop with Huddl – How to be an effective chair. It’s always a pleasure to run workshops with local organisations, where the focus is not just on learning but also on connecting. This session was no exception. The energy
Grounded Governance’s latest development – a robust, collaborative, intuitive Skills Matrix, ready to help your board with recruitment, succession planning, and development support.
Pharmac recently released a brief summary of its Workplace Culture Review, and for those of us working in governance, it’s essential reading. The review doesn’t just offer a snapshot of internal dynamics at a high-profile public agency, it invites all boards and leaders to reflect
Two weeks ago, we hosted our Navigating Governance & Setting Pay for Directors webinar alongside Strategic Pay, and it sparked some great conversations. The discussion, backed by real-world data from Strategic Pay’s latest Pulse survey, provided valuable insights into governance trends and director remuneration. From
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent webinar, Navigating Governance & Setting Pay for Directors, in collaboration with Strategic Pay. It was an engaging session filled with valuable insights into governance best practices and director remuneration. Why We Hosted This
The tragic death of Pala’amo Kalati in 2020 brought Ports of Auckland (POAL) under intense scrutiny. While the CEO, Tony Gibson, faced prosecution for systemic failures in health and safety, the board was not prosecuted. This case reveals critical lessons for boards and executive teams
Grounded Governance hosted a Wellness Day, bringing together clients from around the South Island for a day dedicated to personal and business well-being. Here is our recap.
A high-functioning board fosters a culture of strategic dialogue—one where members engage in meaningful, data-informed discussions. Our recent webinar with BoardPro uncovers how adopting these principles can empower boards and drive impactful outcomes.
Running a business can often feel like a never-ending cycle of tasks, where you’re so immersed in the daily grind that you lose sight of the bigger picture. If you’ve ever felt like your business is running you, instead of the other way around, you’re not alone.
On August 8, Qantas unveiled a governance review report that openly shares the highs and lows of their recent leadership, both management and board, in their post-Covid pandemic re-start phase. With a new Chair set to take over in September 2024, this report is transparent,
Since its inception, Grounded Governance has been a New Zealand-focused company, championing “down-to-earth governance, Kiwi style.” This approach has resonated deeply with our local clients, embodying the straightforward, pragmatic ethos that defines New Zealand’s business environment. However, as we continue to grow and evolve, so
Navigating turbulent times requires boards to refine their decision-making processes. Here, we explore practical strategies to enhance board decision-making, ensuring resilience and effectiveness for when the waters get choppy.
Board evaluations come in all different shapes and sizes, often called reviews, evaluations, or Grounded’s preference, health checks. No matter the title, the core idea remains the same: understanding and improving board performance.
The team at Grounded Governance are thrilled to announce our latest partnership with BoardPro. We are now able to bring you an exceptional on-demand course: How to Be a Great Chair.
We believe that meetings are more than just routine gatherings—they’re opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and progress. Our philosophy centres on making governance enjoyable, and one way to achieve this is by enhancing engagement in meetings.
The Grounded Governance team had the privilege of attending the Institute of Directors Leadership Conference 2024, held on May 13-14. Here are some highlights and insights from our time at the conference.
At Grounded Governance, we understand the complexities of strategy development and have devised a unique 5-step process, aptly named Strategy Simplified. Here’s a deep dive into that process.
With the February announcements that Fletchers CEO and Chair are both leaving the business, we’ve had reason to think hard about their board’s role in the results, and likely future.
We’ve pulled the news announcements apart, trying to understand more about what happened, and how this might have lessons for others in governance roles.
Grounded Governances explores the strength in community and fostering connections for women in governance this International Women’s Day
It’s a challenge for all boards. They are functioning well and then a member announces retirement, or their term is ending. Perhaps a board member is becoming bored and losing focus. Even a board that is functioning well will need to plan for changing board members. How do you ensure a healthy transition of board members?
Board responsibility for managing risk has been widely discussed recently, particularly managing financial risk. Business owners, directors and CEOs also have an obligation to exercise due diligence to ensure their organisation meets its health and safety obligations. What are the lessons learned from Whakaari-White Island?
Governing any organisation can be challenging. This is often made worse by a lack of clarity or alignment about “the why”. Or to phrase it another way – what is the purpose that underpins the organisation, its activities and its contribution to our community?
While leadership is often attributed to a person’s title, seniority or ranking in a hierarchy, what makes a true leader is not about position or title in an organisation. It is about action.
In September 2023, the Reserve Bank of NZ Te Pūtea Matua and the Financial Markets Authority released a report on governance of financial services organisations. It’s a great read and gives strong guidance to boards across many sectors. It’s a fascinating read and packs a
On 25 August the Supreme Court released its decision on the Mainzeal directors’ liability after its collapse in February 2013. The events might have happened a decade ago, but the issues are just as relevant to today’s directors. The Court recognised this and has helpfully
Are boards a group of individual people bringing along a set of individual skills, or are they a team? This is a topic that is regularly debated when discussing governance. If we look at the definition of a team as ‘a group of people who
Are you really ready for your next board meeting? What’s the difference between Reading your board papers and being Ready for your next meeting? Answer – a lot of work. Great governance is not an accident; it is underpinned by a great system for the
Right across our communities and institutions, we “enjoy” transparency like never before. I was fascinated to be a fly on the wall, and watch the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s extraordinary meeting in early July 2022. You can watch it here too. Anyone could watch this
December is the month when both gratitude and the opportunity to help others come together. So far this month the Grounded team have given our time and energy to: A “for purpose” board who were keen on some governance training and a reset on their
We just kicked off a new project! We are giving people a safe space to ask governance questions. You know the ones. The questions that you might feel embarrassed about because you think, “maybe I should already know that?”. Or questions about how the board should be
One of NZ’s biggest banks has hit the international headlines for inadequate governance oversight. The review focused on risk – a hot topic right now, especially around banking boardrooms. In November 2021, the NZ Reserve Bank released an independent report done by UK consultants on
It’s a very interesting time in Aotearoa New Zealand right now. For many businesses, boards and people, it’s not interesting in a good way. It’s challenging, stressful, frankly worrying … Do I still have a job? Will our business survive? Can we care for our
For many years, directors have paid attention primarily – exclusively? – to delivering a return to shareholders. Many businesses have been driven by short term profits. Rather than consider societal benefits, and sustainability, some directors have been shielded by their statutory duty to act in
If the devil’s in the details, the details are often found in paperwork I believe governance paperwork should be easily accessible, and easy to use. But you also have to get it right. In New Zealand, starting a business and agreeing to be a director
This month, the world’s been given its first ever global standard on great governance. Thanks to the International Standards Board, we’ve got ISO 37000:2021. This is a big deal for directors, governance geeks (yep!) and those who run a board’s processes and paperwork. We’ve now
We all need a road map at times, to help us get to where we want to go. Ideally it’s one that takes us in a destination or in a direction we choose. For boards, this is called their annual work plan. Too often I
For a while now, I’ve been working on a dream: to help 1000 Kiwi businesses access great governance so that they can flourish. Directors and owners deserve more time to work on their business, not in it. There are a few months of thinking to