The Boardroom School: practical tips, tools and insights for effective directors

The Boardroom School, the acclaimed course for directors, new, aspiring and established, is all about being the best you can be in the boardroom.

The program focuses on learning and insights, building knowledge and capability, and translating your governance competence to effective influence.

It is designed by me, Margot Foster AM, for you

• the experienced director
• the apsiring director
• the brand new director
• the nfp director
• the corporate director
• the senior exec working with boards
• the career changers

Over the past two years, I’ve supported and helped many accomplished women and men learn how to be effective in their roles as directors and to get recognition from their peers for what they now bring to their boards’ performance and culture.

Through my own decades-long experience on boards and the feedback I’ve received since launching The Boardroom School in mid-2020 I am continually working to understand how I can best deliver really useful information to help you be a high-performing director.

Please join me online for the series beginning on 28 February 2023 for 8 Tuesdays at 5.30.

You! should attend

This is perfect for you if you are an ambitious and aspirational director, or aspiring director, looking to get practical, helpful, useful knowledge to make you the effective director you need to be and want to be. A director who can sit at any table and know what’s expected and who knows how to contribute.

The Boardroom School will help you

•   • know what being a director is about, because it’s like nothing else

• • identify your own value in the role and add value to the organisation’s leadership and strategic goals

• • know the tools, and how to use them, to make a difference

• • gain (a lot of) confidence through practical governance information, insights and knowhow

• • understand director duties and responsibilities and the role of board committees

• • learn the distinctions between board and management and how they work together

• • be well regarded by your fellow directors and by senior management

• • establish your reputation as an informed and valuable member of the board team

Here’s what you receive when you join The Boardroom School for the 8 session series

✓ 90 minute modules packed full of practical and useful insights and information

✓ conversation, debate and discussion with the others in the small, board-sized group learning through story-telling

✓ role plays to put your knowledge and experience to the test

✓ Short sharp hypotheticals to discuss real-life topics

✓ curated reading from a range of sources – newspaper pieces to peer-reviewed articles – at your option to read

✓ Next to no homework because we’re all busy

✓ A course that’s so enjoyable it flies by in a jiffy

The Program

Tuesdays at 5.30pm AEST for 90 mins.

Commencing 28 February 2023 | 7 14 21 28 March | 4 11 18 April

Session 1: 25-question quiz (on some not-so-obvious boardroom topics) and to get to know each other over virtual welcome drinks

Session 2: The Board and its People: who's on the board and why, numbers, skills, role of chairman

Session 3: Director duties & responsibilities: what the law says and what you need to know to make the right decisions

Session 4: Conflicts of interest: what they are, who's responsible and how to manage them

Session 5: Meetings: having your say, papers, agenda, motions, groupthink

Session 6: CEO & Board: who's the boss of who; role of each, delegations and who does what

Session 7: Structure, constitutions & compliance: operating frameworks, role of board documents, what compliance requires

Session 8: Risk, ESG & dispute resolution: essentials of each for managing increasing risk, and a drawing of threads to close.

Why I established The Boardroom School

I learned most of what I know from looking, listening and observing in my early board days, before the notion of governance training was even thought of. When courses and programs emerged they told me little that I hadn’t learned on my own but none of them ever included the practical tips, tools and techniques that actually make boards function.

The answer was simple: create a learning framework about what good governance is while demystifying that new knowledge with useful information at the same time.

Even if you have undertaken other director and governance programs you will be amazed at the extra details we canvass at The Boardroom School.

This is what program participants say

Hi Margot  I thought of just saying thank you. I have landed my first Committee Management role as Treasurer at ABC Club. I would not have the confidence to nominate myself if it was not for your Boardroom school. So, thank you!!! Sylvia Nov 2022

I didn’t think I was going to get involved in governance when I first joined the Board, but here I am, and enjoying learning as much as I can to support our Club. At the time I attended your Boardroom School I had been on the Board for 9 months, and found the information you presented each week invaluable. I wrote a Board Report this week on the status of a governance project and referenced my Board Room School notes. Invaluable. Jay June 2022

Thank you once again for running an excellent course. I gained a great deal from the sessions and really enjoyed the discussions in the group. Chris December 2022

It was lovely getting to know you during the Boardroom School… it helped provide clarity around my director journey. Karen Nov 2022

A belated message to say thank you very much for the Boardroom School course. I very much enjoyed the content and discussions and found it really useful. I’ll be looking to try to get another board later in the year after I stand down from the state school board, and the course certainly gave me more confidence to do that. Madeline July 2022

Hey Margot, wanted to let you know I landed my first board role…. Thank you for your insights through the Boardroom School. Certainly using this knowledge now. Catherine April 2022

I would like to thank you again for TBRS – it was a great program and I am so glad I took part in it. The ‘real world’ stories and examples really brought things to life and I feel like I learnt so much from you and the group that I can take with me in my board roles going forward. Ruth 1/2022

Hi Margot, I had my first board meeting on Wednesday and Monday's session really helped put me at ease. A real confidence boost! Thank you and see you Monday. Martha 1/2022

The Boardroom School and the way you present were excellent. I have learned so much and will refer back to my notes often in the coming years. Jay 2021

Thank you Margot. I really did enjoy the course and it gave me a lot of good information with which to go forward. I know I can pull a lot of things together from the course materials. Jane 2021

….. thank you for helping me with my confidence re questions & timing in board meetings. I learn when I’m listening, but your teaching & advice has helped me identify the best times to add to discussions. Sommer 2021

TBRS offers an engaging and interactive learning experience, that delivers highly relevant content, real-life case studies and practical tools to help you navigate the complexities of working with, for and on boards to achieve good governance. TBRS is underpinned by Margot's expertise and extensive board experience. Highly recommended for aspiring and experienced Company Secretaries, General Managers, CEOs and Board members alike. Shantel 2021

“ I completed the Boardroom School program in 2021 and found it extremely beneficial to my current role within sport and also to support my desire to volunteer my time on a State Sporting Association board. The readings and support material made the content relatable and easy to understand. Another benefit was the network that I have created out of completing the program!!” Megan 2021

The Boardroom School was a valuable experience that I would recommend to new and seasoned directors alike. Margot is to be commended for putting together a program that enables discussion and learning on the "reality" of board roles, for example, the nuanced situations that might arise, or the ambiguous aspects of certain situations. It was refreshingly unusual to find a course like this was available and I found the discussions and group rapport to be educational, informative, and engaging. Due to the deliberately small size of the group there was a high degree of participation from all members and the ability to discuss aspects of interest at greater depth. I have a greater degree of confidence and empowerment in approaching my next board role with the knowledge of the types of issues that are persistent for even the most experienced Directors, and the types of strategies that have been proven to be effective. Highly recommend! Nitya 2020

I honestly can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to attend your Boardroom School this year. The learnings continue to be valuable daily in my various roles. Brooke 2020

I love the course! Thank you so much for offering it and for making me feel so welcome. Being a young member of the group these sorts of courses can be quite intimidating, but you have made it some much fun and informative! I highly recommend this course to anyone! Frances 2020

I am enjoying the course. This type of education should be mandatory for people wanting to be involved in a board at any level. Georgie 2020

I am really enjoying the course and look forward to Tuesday afternoon when I get to catch up with the group to discuss a new topic relating to board governance. I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in becoming a board member as it will give them a good overall grounding in the roles and responsibilities of a board member and what good governance looks like. Steven 2020