During his Safety 2013 session, ASSE Fellow and past
president Mark Hansen, P.E., CSP, CPE, offered up a collection of business lessons
that EHS professionals can use to survive in today’s corporate workplace. He also highlights five classic boardroom blunders to avoid in his proceedings
paper:
- Think it's "no big deal." Suppose the CEO walks into your office and nonchalantly says, "You have 20 minutes to pitch your business unit's plan at tomorrow's board meeting." Your near-panic is visible, so he adds, "Don't sweat it; it's no big deal." Just because he says or acts as if it's no big deal doesn't mean it's no big deal. "Prepare. Know your material cold and be ready for a healthy amount of Q&A," Hansen counsels.
- Walk in with a half-baked plan. “Boards are typically comprised of smart, opinionated people who are also former or current executives,” Hansen says. “If you pitch a half-baked plan, it may get twisted, debated and mutated to the point where you end up getting a green light to do something that bears little or no resemblance to your original plan. And if it fails, it's still your plan . . . and your fault.”
- Try to outmaneuver a founder. Don't underestimate the loyalty, power, and sway even a dysfunctional founder may still have with a board that owes its existence to that individual. “Even if you're the CEO, you can do irreparable damage to your standing or even get fired. Exercise extreme caution,” Hansen cautions.
- Expect the board to actually do something. It's the job of company executives to manage, plan, strategize, make decisions and execute. The board's job is to provide oversight, advice, and sometimes, connections. “If you need something from the board be clear and upfront about it,” Hansen advises, but don’t “expect much more than feedback.”
- Pitch a controversial plan without support. “Rally some support before the meeting for hot or controversial ideas.”