Levels of consciousness in the boardroom: From complacent to framing

My work with boards is stimulating and invigorating because of the variety of thinking patterns, perspectives, and energetic engagement. Each person is there to contribute in a way he or she believes is important to adding value. Sometimes, there are boards with one or two verbally expressive board members carrying the dialogue. Other times, each board member is highly engaged in strategic dialogue with a robust exchange across the table. Once in awhile, there are multiple mindsets and consciousness levels that produce at least seven varieties of simultaneous conversation. When multiple conversation types are happening, it takes some effort to find the discussion thread and the desired outcome or result. One way the thread is found is to help people in the room determine their mindset—or perspective—regarding the conversation. What often happens is people behave in their own familiar embodied way and, many times, they do not realize that they may be moving too fast or shutting down strategic dialogue with too many detailed questions.

I like to read, study theories, observe, and apply new supporting practices. Recently, the following framework is helping board members create awareness of their own perspective in—or not in—alignment with other board members. Which of the following consciousness levels is embodied in your boardroom conversations? Are there multiple levels in your boardroom? Which are the most prevalent? Which support your board in performing the highest?

1. Complacent: What will be, will be. This perspective can look like partial or total inertia, as in napping while awake. We wake for socializing and connecting, and once in a while, we add immaterial comments such as “good idea,” “sounds good,” or “yes.”

2. Social Loafing: This perspective lets others carry the conversation and makes decisions; they do it so well that we don’t need to add value. Our engagement and conversation style is mainly silent watching.

3. Oversight/Micro Detail: This is deliberate or unconscious directing and micro checking. It is just our nature to be in charge. Oversight is needed at certain times, so be intentional in an oversight conversation, such as managing a breakdown that causes enterprise risk versus governance misuse.

4. Questions/Inquiry/Curiosity: This perspective includes managing assumptions, fact- and data-checking, validating, or just showing curiosity that can take the conversation down a rabbit hole. The insatiable board member will often say, “I have just one more question,” about a budget or expense line item.

5. Action Planning: In this perspective, people take an idea into action steps that may or may not align with the overall strategic vision, available resources, and other already approved initiatives.

6. Strategic: Participants decide what business they are in and whom they serve in what way that aligns with their vision and mission.

7. Framing: This is when participants ask the question beyond the first question, followed by a question beyond that question, just like a Babushka Doll, to get to the highest order question that needs dialogue. Contextualizing the issue, challenge, or opportunity for creative dialogue and moving the conversation to a higher consciousness level is where innovation is sparked and new possibilities emerge.

Action Research in the Boardroom

Many boards either aspire to or are moving toward a continual practice of higher-level performance. Start with a baseline that surfaces the embodied consciousness level in your boardroom. Assign one or two people to be observers and note the statements made, questions asked, and actions during meetings. Break down the statements into one of the above seven categories. Note that complacency and social loafing are forms of actions, and any word spoken is an action through speech. Some actions (or spoken words) produce compelling outcomes while others entrench or stagnate the progress. Your observers can be trained staff or external resources with objectivity and discernment. Another option is to record your meeting and send it via media file to a trained resource that listens and categorizes the consciousness and conversation. The observer does not need to know who is speaking; he or she just listens, observes, and categories.

Why does observing and noticing consciousness and conversation patterns matter? Maybe you are more strategic than you think. Perhaps you are ready to start framing practice, or you might be one of the boards where 67% of the time, board members are bored. You might learn that the board jumps between oversight, inquiry, and complacency, and the CEO is asking you to be strategic.

Get a baseline. Decide what consciousness level is needed in your boardroom. Put up the bumper guards so you stay in that lane. Have fun with learning and practicing this technique!

Deedee Myers

Deedee Myers

Deedee Myers is founder and CEO of DDJ Myers, Ltd. and co-founder of the Advancing Leadership Institute. For the past 20 years, she has been passionate about establishing and developing ... Web: www.ddjmyers.com Details