Boards

A comprehensive guide to transforming boards and achieving best-practice governance in any organisation. When practising good governance, the board is the vital driver of organizational success, while fostering positive social impact and economic value creation. At all levels, executives around the world are faced with complexities rising from disruptive business models, new technologies, socio-economic changes, shifting political circumstances, and an array of other sources. High Performance Boards is the comprehensive manual for attaining best-in-class governance, offering pragmatic guidance on improving board quality, accountability, and performance. This authoritative volume identifies the four dimensions, or pillars, which are crucial for establishing and maintaining best-practice boards: the people involved, the information architecture, the structures and processes, and the group dynamics and culture of governance. This methodology can be applied to any board in the world, corporate or non-profit organization, regardless of size, sector, industry, or context. Readers are introduced to a fictitious senior board member – an amalgamation of board members from well-known organisations – and follow her as she successfully handles real-life challenges with effective governance. Drawn from the author's 20 years of practice and confidential work with boards across the world, this book: Demonstrates how high-performance boards innovate and refine their practices Discusses examples of board failures and challenges, including case studies from both for-profit and non-profit organisations including international organizations and state-owned agencies or even ministries Provides a proven framework to create best-in-class governance Includes a companion website featuring tools for board assessment and board practice High Performance Boards has inspired more than 3000 board members around the world. This book is essential reading for professionals and managers interested in governance and board members, senior managers, investors, lawyers, and students of governance.

Make mealtimes, special occasions, and holidays extra memorable with these 50 delicious, inspiring, family-friendly, and easy-to-recreate snack boards. Visually exciting and deliciously enticing, The BakerMama's snack boards move beyond (and include) classic cheese and charcuterie and are comprised of easy-to-find fresh and prepared foods, arranged in beautiful, artful, and whimsical ways (think a football shape for watching the game and a turkey shape for celebrating Thanksgiving). The variety of foods on each board are great for a group, big or small, and will bring people together through snacking, all while introducing kids to foods they might not normally try. Plus, you can make the boards ahead of time, so you can actually sit down and spend time with your loved ones. In this book, you will find boards for anytime, entertaining and special occasions, seasons and holidays, breakfast and brunch, meals, and desserts. Impress your family and friends with artful masterpieces, including: After School Board Date Night In Board Birthday Dessert Board Unicorn Board Summer Board Candy Cane Caprese Board Pancake Board Bloody Mary Board Build-Your-Own Taco Board Cobb Salad Board Build-Your-Own Sundae Board Along with The BakerMama sharing her tips to get you into the board mind-set, every board is accompanied by a gorgeous, large photo and step-by-step instructions to make each one easy to recreate. Beautiful Boards is an entertaining game changer that will have you spending less time in the kitchen and more time having fun.

Are you new to a board and have no idea what’s expected of you? Do you know what a board’s six key responsibilities are? Do you know what your relationship with the Executive Director should be? If not, this book is for you. So many board members—especially of small nonprofits—want to support a nonprofit and readily accept the invitation to join the board. It’s only then that they discover they are in over their heads, with no idea of their expectations and responsibilities. The Little Book of Boards is here to throw that drowning board member a rope. Told with a conversational style, this book will lead you through the basics of being on a board, how meetings work, and what’s expected between meetings. In addition, at the back of the book are several in-depth resources for understanding Roberts Rules of Order, bylaws, committee structures, board leadership, and much more. Perfect for any new board member—or for an entire board that is feeling lost—this book and its common sense approach will serve you every year you are on the board.

An essential guide to understanding the dynamics of a startup's board of directors Let's face it, as founders and entrepreneurs, you have a lot on your plate—getting to your minimum viable product, developing customer interaction, hiring team members, and managing the accounts/books. Sooner or later, you have a board of directors, three to five (or even seven) Type A personalities who seek your attention and at times will tell you what to do. While you might be hesitant to form a board, establishing an objective outside group is essential for startups, especially to keep you on track, call you out when you flail, and in some cases, save you from yourself. In Startup Boards, Brad Feld—a Boulder, Colorado-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist—shares his experience in this area by talking about the importance of having the right board members on your team and how to manage them well. Along the way, he shares valuable insights on various aspects of the board, including how they can support you, help you understand your startup's milestones and get to them faster, and hold you accountable. Details the process of choosing board members, including interviewing many people, checking references, and remembering that there should be no fear in rejecting a wrong fit Explores the importance of running great meetings, mixing social time with business time, and much more Recommends being a board member yourself at some other organization so you see the other side of the equation Engaging and informative, Startup Boards is a practical guide to one of the most important pieces of the startup puzzle.

A comprehensive guide on creating, growing, and leveraging a board of directors written for CEOs, board members, and people seeking board roles. The first time many founders see the inside of a board room is when they step in to lead their board. But how do boards work? How should they be structured, managed, and leveraged so that startups can grow, avoid pitfalls, and get the best out of their boards? Authors Brad Feld, Mahendra Ramsinghani, and Matt Blumberg have collectively served on hundreds of startup and scaleup boards over the past 30 years, attended thousands of board meetings, encountered multiple personalities and situations, and seen the good, bad, and ugly of boards. In Startup Boards: A Field Guide to Building and Leading an Effective Board of Directors, the authors provide seasoned advice and guidance to CEOs, board members, investors, and anyone aspiring to serve on a board. This comprehensive book covers a wide range of topics with relevant tips, tactics, and best practices, including: Board fundamentals such as the board's purpose, legal characteristics, and roles and functions of board members; Creating a board including size, composition, roles of VCs and independent directors, what to look for in a director, and how to recruit directors; Compensating, onboarding, removing directors, and suggestions on building a diverse board; Preparing for and running board meetings; The board's role in transactions including selling a company, buying a company, going public, and going out of business; Advice for independent and aspiring directors. Startup Boards draws on the authors' experience and includes stories from board members, startup founders, executives, and investors. Any CEO, board member, investor, or executive interested in creating an active, involved, and engaged board should read this book—and keep it handy for reference.

Platters and Boards — Entertaining dishes and party dishes your guests will love Entertaining and party dishes from Platters and Boards: Celebrated author and food blogger Shelly Westerhausen shares the secrets to creating casually chic spreads anyone can make and everyone will enjoy (and envy) in her bestselling Platters and Boards cookbook. This visual cornucopia of a cookbook is the guide to entertaining with effortless style. Platters and Boards is an inspiring resource for throwing unforgettable get-togethers: Organized by time of day, 40 contemporary arrangements are presented with gorgeous photography, easy-to-prepare recipes, suggested meat and drink pairings, and notes on preparation and presentation. Helpful advice includes: Tips on portioning Guides to picking surfaces and vessels Recommendations for pairing complementary textures and flavors A handy chart featuring board suggestions for a variety of occasions (from holiday parties to baby showers) Fans of Cook Beautiful, The Art of the Cheese Plate, InStyle Parties, Magnolia Table, and Cravings will love Platters and Boards.

"The author's guidance is backed up by research and hundreds of interviews - information that everyone in business can use: senior executives get the tools to create and sustain effective boards; management gets a clear understanding of good corporate governance; directors get essential information on how to optimize their roles; employees get an accurate reading on the health of their company; and investors get a critical benchmark for evaluating a company."--BOOK JACKET.

Fun, flexible, unique holiday spreads, weeknight meal boards…even drinks and dessert options! Take boards beyond cheese and crackers and show off your effortless entertaining style with conversation-starting spreads that are sure to impress but give you the flexibility to make or buy components. Join food stylist, ATK cast member, and judge on the new Amazon Freevee competition show, ATK: The Next Generation Elle Simone Scott as she shares her tips for creating photo-worthy spreads, letting you in on trade secrets ranging from plating techniques to how she keeps things looking fresh on set (and all party long). Across 35 boards you’ll find over 150 of ATK’s foolproof recipes to build your board around or add that special homemade touch, from a platter-worthy Steak Frites to better-than-storebought dips, and everything in-between. Become an expert in stylish presentation: Elle gives tips with every recipe, letting you in on trade secrets like making the perfect cocktail garnish, how to swoosh hummus and dips with confidence, and how she keeps food looking fresh on set (and all party long). Gain confidence with the classics: Charcuterie and cheese board how-tos in the introduction help you achieve the perfect balance of texture, flavor, and visual appeal. With tips on arranging and ways to take your boards to the next level, you'll have an appetizer that looks as good as it tastes. Take boards beyond cheese and crackers: Push the boundaries of what a “board” is with ideas like a customizable baked potato and DIY Bloody Mary board, or grilled vegetable platter, proving that all different kinds of food are more fun when served as a board. And it's more than just snacks—even the grazing boards are hearty enough for dinner. Full-spread photos help you straddle the line between elegant and casual: The photography is both aspirational and inspirational; follow our tips to replicate it exactly or use it as a jumping-off point for your own creation. Choose your level of involvement: Whether you’re in the mood to cook or you'd rather pick everything up at the grocery store (or something in between) we provide recipes with suggestions for store-bought alternatives.

The Essential School Board Book highlights effective practices that are common to high-functioning boards around the country--boards that are working successfully with their superintendents and communities to improve teaching and learning.

"By far the best book on corporate and institutional governance." —Nicholas Katzenbach, former attorney general of the United States In his new foreword to The Board Book, former Mellon Foundation and Princeton University president William G. Bowen brings his immense experience to bear on the most pressing questions facing boards of directors and trustees today: seeking collaborative relationships and placing a renewed emphasis on sustainable initiatives. The strategies Bowen relates throughout the book foster the collegiality and sense of purpose—more important in today’s turbulent times than ever before—that are integral to any effective board.