One Minute Governance
278 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsBINGE SEASON 4 NOW!!!
Season 5 coming soon-ish
Are you a director, senior executive, investor, or someone who’s just curious about corporate governance? Tune in for insights about how things work inside and outside the boardroom, based on 20 years of experience and interactions with thousands of directors from around the world. Each episode lasts about one minute and will provide you with questions to ask yourself, your board and your management team, designed to optimize the way your organization makes decisions.
Matt Fullbrook is a corporate governance researcher, educator and advisor located in Toronto.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
116. Making good decisions: Confirmation bias
August 15, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.57 MBBy now, we've all heard about confirmation bias, and if you did your homework from the last episode, it'll be really clear to you how it gets in the way of effective decision-making. So, what are we supposed to do about it? Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: Now that you’ve read chapter 1 of Decisive by the Heath Brothers, let’s take some time to talk through what they call the four villains of decision making, starting with confirmation bias. ...
115. Making good decisions: Intro
August 11, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.51 MBSince we've established good governance as actively creating conditions to maximize the likelihood that effective decisions will get made, let's start exploring what it means to make good decisions. Over the next five episodes, we'll use the first chapter of Decisive by the Heath Brothers as our textbook. Download a free copy here: https://heathbrothers.com/member-content/decisive-chapter-1/ As always, the background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution. SCRIPT: I’...
114. Who’s responsible for good governance?
August 08, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.74 MBNow that we've established some definitions and busted some myths, who's actually responsible for "doing" good governance? Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: At this point, I think we’ve done enough mythbusting and detective work that we’ve got a reasonably good idea of what good corporate governance is and isn’t. And even if you’re not convinced by my perspectives, you at least have a good sense of where I stand. So, if we stick with the condi...
113. Is ED&I the same as good governance? (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion)
August 04, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.68 MBThis episode was originally called "ED&I is not the same as good governance," but now I'm not so sure... Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: I’ve talked a lot about Equity, Diversity & Inclusion on OMG before – have a listen to episodes 19 through 21 and 59 through 62 if you want a refresher. I believe *super* strongly that diversity of perspectives, lived experience, personalities, cultures, expertise, etc. etc. is a critical factor for making ...
112. Board effectiveness is not the same as good governance
August 01, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.8 MBBoards are an important part of corporate governance in most organizations, but an effective board is not the same as good governance. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: I said earlier this season that board effectiveness and good governance aren’t the same. When I say “board effectiveness” what does it mean to you? I even struggle with this one, which is troubling given that my company is called “Fullbrook Board Effectiveness.” My URL is even ...
111. Survival is not the same as good governance
July 28, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBOrganizations that survive for a long time - generations, even - are really impressive, but it doesn't mean they have good governance. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: I contributed to a paper a few years back that found over a 50 year period that family-controlled listed companies were significantly more likely to survive for the entire stretch than non-family firms. Cool finding, right! The problem is that it’s not all that clear to me that...
110. Good shareholder value is not the same as good governance
July 25, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.65 MBI don't care how good your return to shareholders is...it doesn't mean you have good governance. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: I’ve already talked about stakeholder capitalism vs shareholder capitalism a bunch of times on OMG – have a listen to episodes 5, 31, 48, 52, 56, etc. So I’ve already established pretty clearly that I believe organizations can and should make decisions that take into consideration the interests of a broad range of ...
109. Good financial performance is not the same as good governance
July 21, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.58 MBI don't care how good your financial performance is...it doesn't mean you have good governance. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: Corporate governance evolves *slowly*. Even in a single boardroom, real governance change tends to happen at a glacial pace, but on a system level…man. Seriously, every single little change to regulation – however, toothless or insignificant – gets treated like some kind of revolution, and then the real-world impact...
108. Hiring a CEO is not the same as good governance
July 18, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.47 MBI often hear people say that hiring the CEO is the most important thing that a board can do. Still, even doing a great job at hiring a CEO isn't the same thing as good governance. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: I had originally planned to do an episode later this season called “Is hiring and/or firing the CEO really the most important thing a board does?” and maybe I still will, but I feel like this topic fits nicely in the sequence we’ve g...
107. Purpose is not the same as good governance
July 14, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.34 MBIncreasing emphasis on corporate purpose is a *really* good thing, but it's not the same as good governance. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: This is probably the most obvious of all the titles in this sequence. Of course purpose is not the same as good governance. Take any incorporated entity, from a one-man-shop like my company, Fullbrook Board Effectiveness, to let’s say Amazon, it’s really helpful to be able to answer the question “why do...
106. Strategic oversight is not the same as good governance
July 11, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.45 MBLOTS of experts will tell you that corporate governance is all about strategic oversight. I'm here to argue that there's a lot more to good governance than that. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: Let’s get something important out of the way right off the bat: good corporate governance and board effectiveness aren’t the same thing. In fact, there are plenty of incorporated entities out there that don’t even have functional boards of directors, ...
105. ESG is not the same as good governance
July 07, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.51 MBSure, the "G" in ESG stands for "governance," but ESG and good governance aren't the same. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT: ESG is an initialism referring to Environmental, Social & Governance. I remember when I first heard the term ten, eleven, twelve years ago, I assumed that what it was trying to get at was an organization’s governance when it comes to environmental or social factors, and it’s secretly how I continue to think of the term. ...
104. Compliance is not the same as good governance
July 04, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.5 MBThinking of compliance as good governance is probably the most common, and distracting, false equivalency in corporate governance. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT I spent nearly 20 years running a project at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management that resulted in a couple of different sets of what we called “board ratings.” Fundamentally, these board ratings were just sets of rules against which we would score the governance ...
103. What is BAD Corporate Governance?
June 30, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.64 MBIf I'm going to give you a definition of GOOD governance, I guess we'll need one for BAD governance, too. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT In the previous episode, I suggested that we define good corporate governance as creating conditions that maximize the likelihood that effective decisions will get made. I’ve had months to sit with it, and you’ve only had a few days but it still gives us a useful starting point for a bunch of conversations....
102. What is GOOD Governance?
June 27, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.64 MBI'm putting a definition of "good corporate governance" out there just so that you know exactly what I mean when I refer to good governance. Feel free to let me know what you think. Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution SCRIPT Welcome to season three of One Minute Governance. It’s been a long break, and it’s good to be back. I signed off the last season with a bunch of unfinished business, including a threat to write a book. Lots more to come on all of th...
OMG Season 3 Intro
June 23, 2022 17:52 - 1 minute - 1.11 MBSeason 3 of OMG is finally almost here! I can't wait to dive back in. Oh, and if you like the background music, the song is Of the Stars by my band KC Roberts & the Live Revolution. Check out the whole new album, Grit, here: https://ffm.to/kclr-grit SCRIPT: Season three of One Minute Governance launches on Monday June 27th, just a few days away. I’ve always thought of OMG as a platform for taking complex topics in corporate governance and finding ways to make them more accessible. Or ...
101. Season 2 Finale
January 13, 2022 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.74 MBThanks for sticking with me through two seasons and 101 episodes!
100. Why do corporate governance experts think so small??
January 10, 2022 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.64 MBEpisode 100 was supposed to be the season 2 finale, until something annoying came across my desk...
99. I think I might write a book...
January 06, 2022 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBWe already established that learning about corporate governance can be embarrassing. I think I might be able to help. One way is by writing a book. I'll tell you more soon, but in the meantime, send me positive vibes and any questions you think I could help to address.
98. Learning about corporate governance can be embarrassing
January 03, 2022 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.74 MBThere are lots of reasons why successful and influential people might feel reluctant to go back and learn the basics of corporate governance. That's OK, although I wonder if we might be able to find a way to make it more comfortable...
97. Some organizations that do really cool stuff
December 30, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.63 MBI rely on other, smarter people for inspiration. To that end, I wanted to do an episode acknowledging some organizations out there that push my brain in new directions when it comes to corporate governance and leadership. It's not an exhaustive list, nor is it intended to be a "best of" - it's just some folks who have been on my mind of late. Please check them out! www.the51.com https://www.blackopportunityfund.ca/ https://www.futuredirectors.com/ https://fnmpc.ca/ https://filene.org...
96. Why “where were the directors?” is still a good question
December 27, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.43 MB"Where were the directors?" was basically the question that launched the corporate governance "industry" in Canada. Turns out it's still an important question...
95. Why does every little new governance idea feel like a BIG DEAL?
December 23, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.43 MBCorporate governance basically never changes, and every time any little thing happens it seems like a huge deal. Why is that?
94. Helping founders buy in to “governance”
December 20, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.64 MBIt can be hard to engage entrepreneurs in conversations about governance. They have a lot of other important stuff on their minds. Here are a few tips.
93. Subsidiary governance
December 16, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBI wish I knew a lot more about the governance of subsidiaries...
92. A new (to me) take on the board skills matrix
December 13, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBBoard skills matrices have been around forever, but there's a new (to me) feature that I think would make them even more useful.
91. Are great board chairs really like orchestra conductors?
December 09, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBLots of effective directors compare great board chairs to orchestra conductors. I'm not so sure the analogy is so apt...
90. The thing about Carver...
December 06, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.64 MBThe Carver Policy Governance (R) model is pretty divisive. Here's my take...
89. What is a decision?
December 02, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.43 MBI've spent a lot of time leaning into my definition of governance as the way decisions are made in an organization. Maybe we should finally spend some time talking about what a decision is...
88. Directors have no authority
November 29, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.43 MBAs weird as it may sound, it's true! Individual directors have no authority.
87. Help me bring new talent into the governance arena
November 25, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.46 MBWe have a talent problem in governance. Help me fix it!
86. What questions should you ask if you‘re new to this whole governance thing?
November 22, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.68 MBHere are my suggestions of questions that will actually help you to build better governance if you're new to the space.
85. Can regulations make corporate governance better?
November 18, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.54 MBI think most corporate governance regulations aren't actually about corporate governance at all. If regulators want governance to improve, they need a different approach.
84. Is it time to re-think dual-class share structures?
November 15, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.58 MBThere's a lot of drama in Canada right now around dual-class share structures. Is it time for a change?
83. Executives can make or break board effectiveness
November 11, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.32 MBIt surprises me that I've never talked about the impact that senior executives have on the effectiveness of their boards. So here we go!
82. Governing the boundaries of corporate culture
November 08, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.32 MBThis episode approaches corporate culture from a different angle than episode 81. How can a board zero in on its definition of and role in corporate culture?
81. Can boards impact corporate culture?
November 04, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.43 MBIt's hard enough to agree on what corporate culture means, let alone what the board's role should be in its oversight...
80. Misinformation in the Boardroom
November 01, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBMisinformation will corrupt any decision process. How important is it to manage the risk of misinformation in the boardroom?
79. Do You Need a Governance Consultant?
October 28, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBEvery board can improve, but should you hire a governance consultant to help? What do governance consultants even do in the first place? How do you know if you're getting good advice?
78. Governance Education: Make sure your whole board benefits
October 25, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBMany boards spend lots of time and money on governance education, but don't do a great job at making sure the whole board benefits when a director attends a course or conference. We can do better than that...
77. Do You Need Governance Education?
October 21, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBGovernance education is everywhere. Sometimes it's excellent, and sometimes it's awful. A lot of the time is exorbitantly expensive. Do *you* need it?
76. Mission Clarity Makes Good Governance Possible (feat. Jamahl K. Evans Sr.)
October 18, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBJamahl Evans is back! Many organizations miss the mark with their mission statements. Without a clear and action-focused mission, how can you make effective decisions? More about Jamahl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamahl-k-evans-sr-64638b124/
75. What Questions Would You Ask If You Were on the Facebook Board?
October 14, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBFollowing Frances Haugen's incredible and awful revelations about Facebook's internal research, imagine you were on the Facebook board. What questions would you ask? What future would you help to build for the organization?
74. Is Stakeholder Capitalism Even Possible?
October 11, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBI've talked about stakeholder capitalism before, but not everyone agrees that it's even possible, let alone whether or not it makes sense.
73. Barriers to Exit (feat. Paul Smith)
October 07, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBSPECIAL GUEST ALERT: Today's episode features the incredible Paul Smith from Future Directors Institute sharing his perspective on what makes it hard to LEAVE boards of directors. Learn more about Paul and Future Directors here: www.futuredirectors.com
72. ”Corporate” is a Good Word
October 04, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.63 MBI don't really understand why so many people dislike the "corporate" part of corporate governance. It kinda drives me crazy.
71. Friction Isn‘t Fun; It‘s Functional (feat. Jamahl K. Evans Sr.)
September 30, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBI'm SUPER excited to welcome Jamahl Evans, a U.S. Marine Corps Officer and fellow governance nerd, to OMG. After like a year of prodding I've finally convinced Jamahl to share some of his perspectives on the show. In this episode, he talks about the importance of embracing constructive conflict. More about Jamahl here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamahl-k-evans-sr-64638b124/
70. Strategic Discussion Takes PRACTICE!
September 27, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBI like to think about "strategic thinking" as a skill that takes constant practice to do it well.
69. Ask Big Questions in Advance
September 23, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBAsking big questions is easy, but engaging a board in a constructive discussion about a big question can be challenging!
68. The Biggest Favour You Can Do for Your Board (probably)
September 20, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.33 MBNo matter how powerful and influential corporate leaders might be, they still need the right conditions to thrive.