Rudely Interrupting - I have a bad habit of interrupting people. I tell myself that I do it to speed up the conversation as I think I know what they are going to say (nope!). Obviously I am trying to stop as it is disrespectful and annoying. A couple of tips that I found and try to use:

• WAIT - “Why Am I Talking?”. Deliberately asking myself: Have they stopped talking yet? Is it my turn? Do I have anything meaningful to add?

• Count to 2 before responding. This avoids jumping into the first small break, when they might not be done.

• Summarize (in my head) what the other person is saying. Apparently this is to focus me on active listening rather than my response.

So far, I have made a bit of progress, but still have a long way to go. Wish me luck! I apologize in advance for my rudeness. 🙏

MacKay CEO Forum Advisor - I am a proud alumni of MacKay CEO Forums - a high-impact peer learning group for CEOs, executives, and business owners. Previously I was a member of a local Victoria group, led by the lovely Kerry Brown. I have recently joined as an Advisor, which will allow me to collaborate with Forum Chairs, build connections and share expertise. I am excited about the opportunity and will be attending some upcoming events. If you are a MacKay CEO Forums member, please reach out to say hello. For those of you who don’t know about them, you can find out more here (or by contacting me): MacKay CEO Forums | Global CEO Peer Learning and Leadership Development for Canada's Top Executives

Presentation on Role Clarity & Boardroom Agility - I am presenting to 60+ members of the Governance Professionals of Canada on Tuesday, July 15. The topic is “The Skilled Governance Professional: Enhancing Board & Management Role Clarity and Boardroom Agility”. Key points: Role Clarity: When everyone knows their lane, the organization moves faster, with greater confidence and strategic focus. Agile Governance: Enables leaders to identify emerging issues and pivot quickly in response to new risks and opportunities.

Is Your Board Agile Enough for Today’s World?

In today’s volatile environment a board’s ability to adapt may be just as important as its ability to oversee. While most governance systems are designed for consistency and control, what many organizations now need is agility—the ability to pivot quickly, engage dynamically, and learn as they go.

Agile governance isn’t about abandoning structure. It’s about making the structure work for the board’s strategic purpose, not against it. It’s about shifting how boards operate—so they’re better equipped to spot emerging risks and opportunities, and to act in ways that create long-term value.

Why Agility is Important

Turbulence can significantly reduce the certainty of predictions and the success of strategic moves. 

Executives and boards need more dynamic capabilities to skillfully guide and govern the long-term value creation of organizations in uncertain and turbulent times.

In a 2019 article titled ‘Why Giants Stumble’, the authors identified factors that create corporate failures: failed innovation or repositioning; overinvesting in the core business; risky diversification; outsized acquisition; failed compliance, poor financial risk controls, or efficiency problems.

Two prominent mistakes were identified by the research.

• Top decision makers and organizational capabilities are often poorly matched to the company’s strategic challenge.

• Top decision makers succumb to decision-making biases that blind them to the major risks they assume.

Most stumbling CEOs and their organizations lacked the capabilities to deal with the challenges that were either thrust upon them or that they freely took on.

The authors concluded that “The odds of success rise with the combination of a CEO with strong qualifications to meet the specific challenges involved, a senior team with complementary strengths, and a board independent and knowledgeable enough to catch mistakes.”

Let’s look at how an agile board could improve the odds of meeting the challenge.

What Does an Agile Board Look Like?

An agile board knows when to double down and when to reassess. It adjusts how it spends time, what information it seeks, and how it engages with management based on the situation at hand.

According to 2024 research, agile boards tend to exhibit three core capabilities: sensing, pivoting and aligning.

• Dynamic board capabilities: Developing board practices that impact corporate renewal and performance [link here: 8367.pdf] - This the 2024 research referred to above.

• Agile Boards of Directors: A Fad or the Future? | INSEAD Knowledge. Some Agile principles can be counterproductive in the boardroom, while others can help.

• Corporate Governance and Corporate Agility - Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. The value of agility is likely to be greater in rapidly changing environments, such as the one most firms face today with recent changes in technology and consumer preferences.

• Closing the Governance Gap in Joint Ventures - MIT Sloan Management Review. Businesses are increasingly partnering to meet their strategic objectives — but neglecting governance puts JVs and their shareholders at risk.

Referrals are always appreciated!

Feel free to share this newsletter - my services may be exactly what they need right now.

Giving Back by Supporting Non-Profits: Is your organization improving the world on a tight budget? Each year Puimac Consulting Ltd. provides a number of presentations pro bono. Non-profits with limited budgets can inquire for more information and on availability.

Let’s keep in touch.