 Where is 'The Line'?
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 It is common to hear both board members and managers talking about 'the line' between governance and management. This is most likely when there is a sense that one of the parties has strayed too far into the other's (jealously guarded) territory. These conversations often reflect the assumption that the respective roles and responsibilities are clearly distinguishable.
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Are You Really At This Meeting Or Just 'Present'?
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 We are now in an age in which technology - in the form of various wireless, handheld communication devices - has created an addiction of a kind. Many of us are compulsively attracted to the capability to be instantly connected. 'Smart phones' and laptops are networked devices that for the most part are purposefully designed to attract our attention without regard for the place we are or the activity we are engaged in.
It used to be bad enough when people would not turn their mobile telephones off in board meetings. Now, with this new generation of devices there are many board members who feel obliged to be constantly available to people outside the boardroom via email and SMS. These small, handheld communication tools mean people are physically present at board meetings but their attention is regularly diverted elsewhere.
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What Are You Doing To Help Your Chief Executive Manage Stress?
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 It was a sign of the times when I was recently asked to lead a discussion with a group of board chairs concerned about the potential for stress among their chief executives. As representatives of boards aspiring to be good employers these chairs were keen to learn more about how to recognise and deal effectively with signs of chief executive stress. I was delighted to contribute to the discussion because the type of macho stereotypes that persist in our corporate world, are extremely unhelpful, if not downright dangerous.
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The Ladder of Inference
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 In the boardroom decision making environment, whether we challenge accept or other people's conclusions and assumptions we need to be confident that their reasoning, and ours, is based firmly on the best information we can get. The challenge is to make sure decisions and subsequent actions are transparent and grounded as close to reality as possible. There are many impediments to the type of dialogue that will achieve this. Not least, time at board meetings is invariably in short supply. We are always under pressure to deal with matters here and now.
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