A maturity model for board management is a tool to evaluate how well your board of directors is managing itself. Its aim is to help board members improve performance and help make the business more successful. The process typically involves an online questionnaire that is self-administrated and then a discussion with consultants to analyze the results. The majority of models employ a scale of three to five levels to appraise the various aspects of the board’s performance. The www.healthyboardroom.com/how-to-choose-the-best-software-solution-for-your-data-security-needs/ first level is characterized as impromptu, without formal standards or alignment. The third and the second levels are more specific and contain processes.
The most important thing to consider in any maturity model is how it is designed to prioritize learning for your board. When you know what your board’s current level is it is simple to determine the capabilities you require to acquire next. There are models that provide general estimates of how long it takes to reach an individual level (e.g. «A level change can take about six months and an average reduction of 25% in productivity».
The majority of boards start at the low end of the maturity scale. They are the least compliance-oriented ones who understand their responsibilities and the risks they face. They are reluctant to devote more time and money than is necessary to governance, as it takes them away from their primary tasks of managing.
These are the people who have to be made to accept that governing is a separate, distinct and very different job from executive management. It requires training and assessment, as well as funding to support. It’s a risky undertaking that tests your imagining and understanding, as well as the willingness to take calculated risks in the complicated and interconnected external world of politics and economics.