Workout: learning the keys to board life

GOVERNANCE expert Kate Costello says people wanting to win board positions need to ask themselves three key questions.

GOVERNANCE expert Kate Costello says people wanting to win board positions need to ask themselves three key questions before pursuing a role, otherwise they may find themselves disillusioned.

“The honesty comes in providing frank and sincere answers to three key questions — do I really want this and if so, do I have what it takes … and if so, what’s the right board for me?” says Costello, who runs Governance Matters.

She says too many people are captivated by the illusion of a board position being all about glamour, and they pursue posts for the wrong reasons and without fully understanding the machinations of a board.

“The losers, of course, are both the individuals and the companies or organisations they serve,” she says.

Costello advises people to be good at and on top of their day job before considering whether or not to seek a board position, and if they are good at it, board positions will open up in due course.

She says aspiring directors need to do their homework and have a clear and unambiguous understanding of the role of a board, the responsibilities that come with it and how demanding a board position can be.

Women the focus

THE Macquarie University Women, Management and Work conference will discuss leadership and developing the careers of Australian women, next Wednesday in Sydney.

This year’s conference will explore how an entrepreneurial mind can drive innovation and career growth.

Robert Rodgers, director-general personnel of the RAAF, will discuss organisational agility.

Telstra regional manager Angela Lovegrove will talk about the role of sponsors in leadership and Anne Ross-Smith from Macquarie University will speak about how women can make it on to boards.

The conference will canvas issues including organisational recruitment and retention driven by diversity, making collaboration work, personal mastery to accelerate a person’s career, and using digital techniques to create new ideas.

Macquarie University’s faculty of business and economics executive dean Mark Gabbott says the contribution of women to Australia’s economic growth has been largely ignored, and the conference provides an opportunity to recognise their entrepreneurial skills and leadership talents.

Unhealthy costs

POSITIVE workplace health organisation CommuniCorp Group says many businesses fail to understand or acknowledge the threat of “presenteeism” in the workplace — when an employee turns up to work when they may be sick, have a psychological illness or is not fit for work.

Managing director David Burroughs says most businesses track absenteeism, worker sick days and the impact on their bottom line, but fail to acknowledge the damage unfit workers can do.

Australian businesses lose more than $6.5 billion each year, he says, by failing to provide early intervention or treatment for employees with mental health conditions.

“If a business continually has an issue with presenteeism it could suggest that the workplace is psychologically unhealthy,” Burroughs says. “This often manifests itself by employees feeling they are unable to take time off when sick.”

He says that while presenteeism costs can be hard to quantify, there is a direct impact on the bottom line through reduced productivity, long-term sick leave and potential compensation claims.

Secrets of the CV

RECRUITMENT firm Clarius has released a list of top 10 tips for jobseekers to lift their chances of success.

Clarius communications director Timothy Lee says the average job attracts between 20 and 25 applicants but fewer than five are usually shortlisted.

The biggest mistakes people make, he says, is exaggerating the skills on their curriculum vitae and failing to tailor their CV for the job applied for.

Lee advises people not to apply for jobs they cannot justify or support. They should accept rejection, learn from it and move on, and use family, former colleagues and friends for feedback and advice, while treating every job application as a positive, new experience.

He says people should consider doing a personal skills and experience audit, refresh applications to suit an employer’s style, take a break from job hunting to re-energise, and consider upskilling or talking to a business mentor.