Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™

Ten years of ongoing research on organizational trustworthiness has Trust Across America concluding that well-governed companies are less prone to crisis and more profitable over the long term.

One need not look beyond Uber to the fallout of a corporate governance failure. Yet, as a business leader, my definition of “well governed” may not necessarily align with yours.

If your current or past experience includes Independent Lead Directorship, Board Chair or CEO (either active or retired), would you kindly take a few minutes to respond in writing, with short answers, to the following questions?

• What does/did the term “good corporate governance” mean to you?
• What are/were some of the key governance practices you find/found most useful to good corporate governance?
• What are some suggestions you have for improved corporate governance in the future?

We hope to receive 50 responses to be published in a special upcoming governance issue of TRUST! Magazine as well as in a series of articles.

If you do not want to be identified, that works too, but please respond with the following information.

Name:

Title:

Company:

Can we publish your response with your name and title?

Please reply directly to me: Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com. We are hoping to collect your response no later than February 1, 2018, in time for our publication. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel
CEO and Cofounder

Is your Board stuck in the SAC Rut- Show Up, Agree, Collect Check? 

A female acquaintance who has held C-Suite level corporate positions in the past, was recently talking to me about the multiple Board of Director seats she holds. I asked her about her degree of input at Board meetings. Her answer went something like this, “I show up, agree, collect my check and leave.” I pressed her a bit further. “What if you don’t agree? What if you have something to add to the discussion based on your own experiences? What if you want to challenge another board member?  Her answer was simply, “The more I just smile and agree, the better my chances are of getting on more Boards. It’s very lucrative and requires almost no work.” She then reminded me that she is a “hot commodity” as a former female senior executive.

Our August blog series, 31 Trust Tips For Boards & C-Suites provides guidance to boards on how to get out of the SAC Rut. There are another 69 essays in the book itself, Trust Inc., A Guide for Boards & C-Suites.

High-trust organizations with high-trust Boards are rewarded with faster decision making, flourishing innovation, and accelerating growth and profitability.  And trust is built through:

• collaboration
• common goals
• cooperation
• competence
• candor
• connection
• challenging the status quo
• character
• caring
• compromise
• choices

And these are just the “C’s”!

Boards stuck in the SAC Rut get back exactly what they put in. They get back nothing and ALL the stakeholders suffer as a result. And unfortunately, the story told above is all too common.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

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