Why am I running a Non-Executive Masterclass?

I work as a non-executive Director for several businesses and I feel very privileged to be part of their development. I am generally recruited to the Board to help with growth and/or change management, usually in Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). I am passionate about the contribution that small businesses make to the economy, whether it be home-office start-up or larger companies with many employees - I love the energy and vibrancy that you can feel in entrepreneurial businesses.

However, there are various stages in company development that can sometimes prove difficult to get past, such as;

Delegating your precious business to employees when you first start out.
Making yourself concentrate on your vision (instead of all the ideas that keep popping up).
Getting funding from the bank for growth.
Realising that your company needs some processes and procedures rather than relying on verbal communication.
Creating a Senior Management or Board structure.

Many entrepreneurs also struggle to recognise when their business moves into the phase where they are no longer the right people to run things any more - growing a business is like a relay race, different runners will perform better on different stages. All of the above are ideal areas where a good non-exec can add value. There’s a common misconception that non-executive Directors are only really good for bigger businesses, when actually they can provide the objective outside viewpoint and support that’s needed to move smaller businesses forward. Oh, and while I’m on misconceptions, I’m rubbish at golf and I don’t turn up at Board meetings just to eat the sandwices (biscuits are a different matter!!) Appointing a non-exec is a way of getting affordable chunks of time with someone who has experience that can be added to your own – and hopefully together you come up with a solution to get past the sticky patches in your growth curve.

So why the Masterclass?? Well, I think that the best way to understand what a non-executive does and can do, is to let people talk to some real live specimens, and more importantly to peer companies who have already taken the plunge and appointed someone. A good non-exec can bring contacts, valuable experience and more importantly – a sounding board when you need to talk things through with someone who has been there and got the video. However, make sure that you select the right person for the right reasons – check out their background, the fit with your existing Board and their ability to impart information and advice – an impressive career does not automatically mean that someone will make a good non-exec.

I’m running a Masterclass in conjunction with the Somerset IOD on 16th March at Dillington House and the idea is that you can get the opportunity to talk to companies who already have non-execs in place – details attached in case you’re interested. Also please comment on this article - I’d really love to hear your experiences of non-execs – good or bad!

Non-Exec Masterclass - download the details HERE (.pdf)