Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Boards get a rethink
C-Suite | Leadership | Management
September 9, 2022 – Boards are changing how they operate, especially given the many management challenges of the past few years. The most active and involved boards include cross-functional teams in board meeting prep and foster a culture of trust and respect in the boardroom, results of a recent McKinsey global survey found. The majority of these tactical changes have become more common since the pandemic began.
To read the article, see “Five ways to increase your board’s long-term impact,” July 15, 2022.
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Visual form
Dumbbell chart.
Layout / body structure
A single horizontal comparison chart runs down the page as a ranked list of board tactics. Each row has a 2019 marker, a 2021 marker, and a connecting band, with a right-hand column showing the percentage-point change.
What is being compared
The chart compares the share of directors reporting specific board tactics in 2019 versus 2021.
Measurement system
The horizontal scale is percentage of directors. The white circles represent 2019, the dark circles represent 2021, and the far-right numbers show the percentage-point change between the two years.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The rows are ordered by size of change. The biggest increases sit at the top, including one or more cross-functional teams jointly preparing board materials, directors seeking relevant information beyond what management provides, and the board chair running meetings efficiently and effectively. The chart then steps down through trust in the boardroom, induction training, formal evaluations, feedback after meetings, long-term succession planning, and director development. The last row shows team-building time, which is the only item that declines.
Main takeaway from the visual
The visual shows boards becoming much more active and structured in how they operate between 2019 and 2021, with most tactics moving up and only team-building time edging down.
Key standout values or extremes
The largest increase is cross-functional teams jointly preparing board meeting materials at plus 32 percentage points. Next are directors seeking information beyond management at plus 27 and the board chair running meetings efficiently and effectively at plus 20. Trust and respect in the boardroom rises by 15, induction training by 12, formal evaluations by 10, feedback after meetings by 9, long-term succession planning by 9, director development by 8, and discussion among nonexecutive directors only by 6. Team-building time is the lone negative at minus 2.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static chart image with no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart image is the full visual on this page.