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How to Chair a Committee Meeting with Confidence and Authority

Meetings are an integral part of every work sector, from the corporate world to charities, local government to education. In fact, iBabs’ recent survey on meeting practices found that a fifth of respondents (22%) spent more than half their working week in meetings. Of course, the longer you sit in meetings, the less time you have to implement the decisions you make and to carry out your other tasks.  In the academic world, faculty members balance their student-facing roles with research and, often, commitments to the various committees that drive governance within the university or college. These various obligations make...

A Guide to Changing Your Board Portal Provider

Board portals have gained wide adoption due to the flexibility and efficiency of organising board meetings online. However, despite many companies using using such solutions, iBabs’ State of Meeting Management survey found that only 60% of respondents felt they had enough time to prepare properly for meetings, highlighting a persistent challenge in achieving effective collaboration. Additionally, less than 50% of participants said their organisations adequately tracked action points. While many board portals offer modern designs, they can fall short in key areas of functionality. They often come with their hidden limitations. For instance, some platforms are overly complex, leading to...

How to Assess Your Board Portal Provider 

A board portal is an essential tool for businesses today, streamlining the process of preparing and running meetings, as well as following up afterwards. However, not all board portals are built the same and your business might find that the platform you use might not be serving you as well as it should.   When you find the right meeting management tool for your business, it can improve collaboration, create transparency in your processes, add accountability to stakeholders, save time and effort for administrators, aid meeting preparation, facilitate better decisions and ensure they are brought to fruition. If your current portal...

Step-by-step Migration Plan for a Seamless Board Portal Transition

There are many reasons why you might be disillusioned with your current board portal. It could be too costly, the support you receive might not be adequate, it might not be user friendly or you might be concerned about its security. Sometimes it is a combination of some or all of these factors. There are plenty of alternatives on the market, but it is easy to stick with an inferior product because the prospect of migrating your existing data to a new platform seems overwhelming. You may also have to seek out a solution that addresses the exact concerns you...

Dos and Don’ts of Data Migration When Changing Board Portal Providers

All businesses are continually searching for ways to save time and money while boosting efficiency and effectiveness. For many organisations, changing their board portal can help them achieve this.  However, the transition process itself, specifically data migration, can seem daunting. Ensuring a smooth transfer of critical documents, meeting records and compliance-related files is essential to maintaining business continuity and avoiding disruptions. A well-planned data migration process helps organisations: We understand the concerns that companies might have about migrating their data over to a new system, but as you can see from the list of benefits, it is worth it. Thankfully,...

The Art of Navigating High-Stakes Conversations with Senior Leaders

Insights from governance expert Laura Higgins FCG on effective communication with executives and board members In today's fast-paced business environment, governance professionals face the challenging task of bridging communication between executive teams and boards. Navigating these high-stakes conversations requires skill, preparation and emotional intelligence. Laura Higgins FCG, founder and director of The CoSec Coach, brings over 20 years of experience in governance leadership roles within FTSE100 and FTSE250 organisations to shed light on this critical aspect of governance work. As a respected governance professional and Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, Laura has dedicated her career to...

Reclaim Your Time: How Assistants Can Boost Productivity

These insights were shared by Lucy Brazier during the recent iBabs webinar, The Dynamics of Organising Meetings. According to Harvard Business Review, executives spend approximately 23 hours per week in meetings, and unfortunately, half of that time is considered wasted. This sobering statistic highlights an urgent need for organisations to rethink meeting management. Crucially, the power to transform this costly inefficiency lies with one person—the executive assistant. Lucy Brazier OBE, author of the award-winning Modern Day Assistant and CEO of Marcham Publishing, champions the idea that assistants are the ultimate guardians of executive productivity. This article will explore practical insights...

Accessible Governance: Breaking Down Barriers to Strengthen Your Board

This article is based on the "Accessible Governance: How to strengthen your board" webinar, delivered in partnership between NCVO and iBabs. In a climate where 60% of charity boards are currently carrying vacancies, making governance more accessible has never been more crucial. During a recent webinar hosted in partnership with iBabs, Sally Stephens, lead governance consultant at NCVO, shared valuable insights on how organisations can simplify board processes, reduce complexity and empower trustees. Why accessible governance matters Governance is fundamental to leading organisations effectively. As Stephens emphasised, "Without good governance in our organisations, we simply cannot move forward." Yet many...

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