Coughs and colds are common at this time of year, but another bug has hit eShare HQ hard this winter; the fitness bug. The Christmas spirit has fizzled out and the consequential reality of our holiday excess is hitting home.
Each January you expect the ‘new year, new me’ attitude to be bandied about in early January, but this year the impetus has not been lost as we approach February. The Christmas present Fitbits are still in use and the competition for daily step count is reaching Olympic proportions between Support, Development and Infrastructure, each sinking to lower and lower methods to increase their step counts.
Whilst we do not condone underhanded techniques, the effort and dedication to this change is undeniably admirable, which led us to thinking; Why should the January fitness bug be limited to people and personal fitness? Why shouldn’t businesses undergo such a surge of willingness to be better?
Businesses run just as people do. The urgent crowds out the important and things start being done because they are quick and easy, rather than necessarily always doing things in the right way, and before you know it, that slight bit of excess becomes a significant paunch that takes more effort to get rid of than it would have done to keep off in the first place (trust me, I know).
In this case, instead of the late-night takeaways and copious amounts of wine, the excess comes in the form of hastily-made decisions, forcing actions that end up creating more work to either fix or for other departments to work with than if the original decision had been thought through and made with the correct supporting information. The stem of any critical business decision is that organisation’s board.
Ultimately responsible for the strategic direction and smooth running of any organisation, whether they be private or public sector. So really it comes down to the question; ‘How fit is your board?’
If your board runs like clockwork, making decisions effectively and efficiently, propelling your organisation forward with clear thinking, then you can consider yourself the Joe Wicks of the world of business. Lean and mean, ready to succeed and utilising all the tools available for you to do so. Even if your voice is a bit squeaky.
Sadly though, there aren’t enough Joe Wicks’ in the world, as terrifying a prospect as that sounds. Many organisations are still running as they always have. Making decisions at a snail’s pace and struggling to keep on top of the day-to-day, hampering their opportunity for growth. The outlook for these organisations is bleak, and there is no health service for business that can take this strain. It’s up to them to shape up, or ship out.
Consider a board portal like a gym for your business. You may sign up with equal trepidation, but ultimately if used in the right way, will unlock your potential and provide you a framework to achieving your goals. Board portals not only streamline your board and all of the associated work and decision making, but unlike a gym, can save you a lot of money too.
If you’re sceptical about this, why not check out some of our case studies, highlighting the improvements that organisations around the world have made by taking this simple step. Furthermore, if you want your own proof, then why not take our Savings Calculator to see how much you can save, and start on the path to a leaner, fitter 2018 for your organisation.
