Bood on Board is a must-read monthly newsletter that shares governance stories and tips for leaders who want to add more value to their boardroom experience.

Kelowna: No beach vacation for me this year. Instead, next week I am heading to Kelowna to visit a friend from high school. If you enjoy the Okanagan, let me know your favourite place or activity so I can add it to my list.

I was recently reminded how easy it can be to lose focus and head down a rabbit hole.

This happened during a governance course I am taking that focuses on high growth companies - Innovation Governance Program (Council of Canadian Innovators).

Side note: Why am I taking another governance course, you ask? I want to learn more about the high-growth tech industry. As a recent report from Deloitte aptly described:

In this iGP course, recent topics have covered data management and cyber risk. We learned how data can be used and commercialized, trends in cyber incidents, risks, red flags, and operational management techniques.

But what I found most interesting was how the audience in one segment went deep into the weeds, whereas the other stayed mostly focused on a board-level view of the topic.

Why is that? It isn’t that one topic lends itself more to a deep dive vs strategic discussion. In an audience of mostly tech folks, I am confident that most people in the virtual room could add plenty of deep insights on both topics.

I believe it is due to how the topic was framed by the presenters.

In the data segment, the slides and presenter commentary focused primarily on providing an overview of the topic, and added one slide focused on the board role. That slide included a list of questions that directors might ask asked to better understand the data in the organization, how it was protected and how it could be used.

In the cyber risk segment, there were more of slides describing the board’s role and what boards should think about. The presenter also mentioned a couple times that certain details about cyber risk management were not important from the board perspective but he was just making us aware that it was out there.

Guess what happened.

In the data segment, the audience dove deep into operational solutions on how data could be managed and protected. But the next week the audience mostly focused on how the board can assess if there is an appropriate cyber risk management program, and monitor for red flags and organizational capabilities.

The take-away? The importance of properly framing a topic to bring your audience along at the right level.

So if you are presenting to the board - or any audience that you want to stay on point - look carefully at which information is shared and whether it is framed to draw them back to the level where you want them to focus and contribute.

If your audience is diving deep into the weeds, perhaps don’t blame the audience. Look at how you led them there.

If you’ve felt board agendas getting fuller while the external environment gets less predictable, you’re not alone.

Three recent governance reports point in the same direction: boards are looking to spend more of their limited time on strategy and scenario planning. Directors see this as a smarter way to deliver oversight, insight, and direction in a volatile landscape.

In What Directors Think (by Corporate Board Member / Diligent Institute), directors are explicit about wanting to rebalance meeting time: 58% want fewer presentations and more time for strategic planning. And scenario planning is already trending upward: nearly half say they are spending more time on it, and 84% say they’ve strengthened their approach to include new or intensifying risks.

Deloitte LLP’s research on board and C-suite leadership lands in a similar place: 73% of respondent boards spent more time collaborating more with the C-suite on strategy development and scenario planning in 2025.

And a recent post entitled Board Governance in 2026 on the Harvard Law Corporate Governance Forum, also by Deloitte LLP authors, describes scenario planning as a practical board effectiveness lever. The authors highlight its role in agility and risk appetite alignment, as boards navigate 2026’s evolving risk landscape.

So what’s the takeaway?

1) Boards want less time consuming information and more time thinking and discussing

2) Scenario planning is moving from occasional to regular

3) Scenario planning should be tied to strategic options and risk appetite

4) Scenario discussions help boards identify capabilities and perspectives

All boards need to be more prepared for plausible futures so the organization can respond with confidence rather than scramble. Strategy and scenario planning is a way to increase organizational readiness.

Scenario planning and strategy discussions don’t need to be complex to be valuable.

Here are 4 easy practical moves to add in more strategic discussions and scenario planning that fit the reality of busy boards.

This article has been simplified. Read the full article on my website for full description of the above takeaways and practical moves.

I’ve seen the biggest gains when boards approach strategy and scenario planning as interactive and applied, not theoretical.

In one recent engagement, I developed tailored scenarios and guiding questions for breakout discussions at a board retreat involving directors and management. The goal was to give the group a structured way to explore how they would respond to complex situations, identify areas for improved readiness, and learn from how others around the table see the same scenario.

The value isn’t the scenario itself - it’s the shared learning and trust-building. Differences and alignment in risk perception became visible, and decision and escalation expectations were clarified. The group also identified a small set of improvements that meaningfully increase readiness.

I also designed scenarios and questions for breakout group discussions at a governance professional association event. Participants used the scenarios to explore response approaches, compare perspectives, and identify practical governance guardrails that strengthen readiness. As they were from different organizations, they are able to share experiences and solutions. Scenario work helps people learn how other smart, experienced professionals think, and that accelerates capability-building.

I also have two upcoming board retreats where we’ll be discussing strategic planning. I’ll guide the group through a structured approach to consider specific organizational needs, goals, and priorities through a board-level lens. This keeps the board in its “highest value” role:

If your board wants to move in this direction, start small:

Because when boards ask for “more strategy and scenario planning,” what they are really asking for is:

More clarity.

More readiness.

Better use of the precious time the board has together.

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.

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