“Do we really need a diverse board?” is simply not a relevant question.
In fact, it was never supposed to be relevant. Because boards should have been diverse from the very beginning. Because discrimination, social injustice, racial abuse, and hatred should have never been “hot topics”. They simply should have never been.
But, we won’t be humans if we were rational.
So here we are, facing the new boardroom revolution (and this time a positive one).
Trend 1. Board diversity is imperative.
We finally started seeing a significant improvement when it comes to racial and ethnic diversity. Well done. As a matter of fact, demand for Him For Her referrals to female board candidates quadrupled in that last quarter of 2020 compared with a year prior. Yet so much more remains to be done, because, for example, today, only 11% of board seats are held by women and only 3% by women of color.
Trend 2. The board Zoom is here to stay.
There’s nothing bad in virtual communication especially when it’s lean and respectful. Tools like Spot allow you to have walking meetings. Tools like Around can help you kill fatigue that kills creativity.
On the other hand, virtual meetings require a more conscious effort to build relationships. Boards will need to learn how to balance the convenience of virtual meetings with the value of in-person interactions in building rapport and fostering collaborative decision-making.
Trend 3. Sustainable decision-making is a must for every board.
If you are aiming to compete in the global marketplace, you must outperform your industry peers on ESG measures. Board health is defined by uncompromised decision-making in the areas of diversity & inclusion and a growing emphasis on sustainable value creation.
As the good old saying goes – make history or be part of it. And, if you want to make history, you have to do historic things.