From the Latest Edition of NACD Directorship Magazine
Tools for Being an Effective Director
According to the 2017–2018 NACD Public Company Survey, directors spend an average of 231 hours a year on board-related responsibilities. That number continues to increase.
Many directors serve on multiple boards and still hold positions as operating executives. That means directors must treat their time as an investable asset—and use it very wisely to stay productive, relevant, and connected.
Until three years ago, Anita Sands was a senior executive with an office, a team, and supporting infrastructure at a major financial firm. Then she made a pivot in order to balance her work life and her roles as a new wife, mother, and stepmother.
Now she sits on the boards of Symantec Corp., Service Now, and Pure Storage. In this article, Ms. Sands describes how she had to build her own digital support system in order to maintain her personal productivity, stay current and relevant as a director, and build her personal network.
Her strategy was to outsource as much of her work life as possible by finding the best apps and services for
- “industrial-strength” email management;
- keeping pace with her immense to-do list;
- blocking out distractions;
- learning about blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other game-changers; and
- building a strategic-asset personal network.
Learn more about how Ms. Sands embraces change, minimizes chaos, and maximizes technology to realize her most productive self in this article. NACD Directorship magazine is available only to NACD members, but you are invited to download a complimentary copy of this article, "Tools for Being an Effective Director: How I Manage All Aspects of a Full Life."
Complete the form to download your complimentary copy of the article.