Effective board directors should put down their smartphones and tablets: Barry Gamble
Observed just about everywhere, it would seem as if we have become mesmerised by our smartphones. No moment can be allowed to pass without scrolling through and responding to messages, checking news, engaging in social media and more besides.
It’s all too easy to become oblivious to what’s going on around us, even detached and isolated.
In the business world our communications with colleagues are increasingly by email and dedicated platforms while the days of the unscheduled telephone call seem long gone.
As a result of this shift, driven by rapidly developing technology and working from home norms, which have continued long after Covid lockdowns, we may well have become less good at discussing things.
If our comfort zone is interfacing with an electronic screen and keyboard, in-person conversations involving eye-contact and the risk of any element of rejection or discomfort from contrary viewpoints might be something best avoided.
This presents real world consequences for how boards function. So as we enter the boardroom, particularly if using a board portal system, AI enabled or not, we need to be in a different mental zone and step away from the habit of being tethered to our electronic devices.
Board directors need to engage and focus at a human level if they are to add value as individuals and as a collective.
This requires pushing through any dread of the board papers to thorough preparatory reading.
Developing a good prior sense of the points on which arguments might turn.
Arriving and starting on time to show respect to all board colleagues.
Offering full attention in the board meeting with active listening and thoughtful contributions to support or challenge prevailing views.
Sure video calls have their place but for the best board experience face-to-face meetings should be the default.
If board directors are to be fully in the room, totally present and act with civility they should avoid using their mobile telephones and minimise or better avoid using tablet devices.
Board directors regularly deal with ambiguity, uncertainty and incomplete data as they seek to take decisions so being relaxed, clear-headed and undistracted are essentials.
We have all experienced that point in a board meeting when there is a tangible shift of gear from going through the process to an energy and bite to discussions and debate.
That’s the zone we need to enter for boards to make a real contribution and to be viewed positively.
Individual directors can apply the right mindset to be in the board zone but ensuring this works well for all relies on good chairing.
This is a ‘must have’ for boards and a subject I plan to return to in a future opinion piece.
Barry Gamble is an experienced board director, chairman of Boardroom City Debates, a member of the 2025 Institute of Directors Commission ‘NEDs reimagined’ and of the 2024 IOD working party to the report ‘The Post Office Scandal, a failure of governance’. On Tuesday September 22, he will be chairing the ICAEW City Debate.