
I have to say that I never thought I’d put the words cruise ships and boards into the same sentence. I also never thought I would go on a Caribbean cruise. With our children now 21, 18 and 15, we are increasingly aware of how fleeting the opportunities are becoming for us to vacation together. So for the last year, we’ve saved and planned behind the scenes in order to unveil their Christmas cruise surprise. But I won’t lie. I had to overcome my own fears about getting on that ship - especially as it pertained to the 3,000 souls, including my own family, relying on a captain and their crew to lead us safely through the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea to our various destinations. As I stood out on the deck one night, overlooking the waves hitting the boat and eyeing the lifeboats that hung above, I found myself grateful for the leadership of the cruise ship. And that got me thinking about the broader work of governance:
1) Forecast. Cruise captains must be prepared for any emergency, providing frequent scenario planning for their crew. How much time does your board spend on scenario planning, reviewing the landscape and what is on the horizon? Aim for 70% of your meeting time to be focused on the future.
2) Communicate. The board of directors must speak with a unified voice, but this does equate to stifling dissent. Ensure that every board member knows their voice matters at the table and that they have communicated concerns. Someone on your board may have a perspective you are blind to. Hear the perspective. Understand it. And then when everyone has all the necessary information, vote and speak with a unified voice on your decision. In crisis, this is even more important. Communicate the vision and the values behind it. This builds trust.
3) Focus on Mission. Cruise captains know their mission. They know what the final destination is and how to get there. The mission of Royal Caribbean is to deliver the best vacations responsibly. Everything stems from and is evaluated by this. I was in awe of how we were always on time, even as we navigated high winds and waves. And I was in awe of how every level of the staff – from the people singing “Wash your hands” in the dining room to the excursion agents to the cruise director on stage – were driven by that mission. They took time to evaluate their work and hear from their guests. How does your board structure review its mission? How does it structure its educational moments in your agenda? Who are the stakeholders you are hearing from? Whose voice is missing that would help the organization achieve its mission?
I’m grateful for the experience we had. Our family truly had one of our best vacations ever. And now as I head into a board meeting this weekend for one of the organizations I’m involved with, I will be looking for how we focus on our mission in our decision-making, communicate with each other and our stakeholders, and spend time forecasting for our future.
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