Recently at Professionelle, we
advertised our last public networking event for the year. Our
chosen topic for discussion was "Women at the Top - the business
case" and this title prompted Frances Denz to get in touch to let
us know she had written a book with exactly that title and which
she thought could be of interest to us and our members. She was
right!
It is worth noting that this "handbook for aspiring women
directors" is written by a woman who has triumphed over adversity
to become a director duly accredited by the Institute of Directors
(IoD) and now engaged on a number of Boards, one of them overseeing
almost $1bn in investment assets. Though Frances does not dwell on
her struggles, she developed cancer as a young woman, a condition
she then battled for almost 30 years. As she wryly puts it in the
foreword,
I have not had the standard orthodox work
history.
Nevertheless, she has successfully made the transition from her
first governance role on a regional Dog Club Committee to ones of
commercial influence and for which she is paid!
Reviewers
When I first picked up this slim grey volume, the thing that
struck me most was the profile of its reviewers. Dame Jenny
Shipley, no less, warmly endorsed it as:
a gutsy, pertinent and timely book… Frances lays
down the challenge for those who appoint directors and those who
would wish to be directors.
Adrienne von Tunzelmann, who I had the pleasure to meet at a
Professionelle workshop, and who has an extensive public sector
background with deep experience in governance and policy review,
said of the book,
Frances Denz's account of her real-life experience
and her acutely accurate - and often rueful - observations will
resonate with many women. The book is… an excellent factual 'how
to' guide to seizing opportunity and avoiding pitfalls.
Format
Frances has written her handbook in 28 short chapters on topics
ranging from 'The Difference between Management and Governance'
through 'Components for Success' to 'What Boards and Trusts are
Looking For'. Most of these chapters contain a sidebar showcasing
Frances' relevant experience or else have her stories woven into
the advice. In the section on 'Getting Paid', for example, she
provides sobering numbers on the level of pay relative to the work
and risk, and describes the amount she is paid and reimbursed for
her two most significant Boards.
Frances' Path
At Professionelle, we are working to demystify the paths to the
board room. I was therefore interested to pick through this book to
identify Frances' own route to "the top". It is a pattern of moving
from smaller to larger, from clubs to companies:
- Otago German Shepherd Dog Committee
- NZ Kennel Club Obedience Committee (elected)
- Member, Labour Women's Council
- Founding Chair for Women's Loan Fund
- Chair of Richmond Fellowship, Wellington branch (elected).
Richmond is an NGO active in community mental health and support
services
- Director on a small trust Board working in the disability
field
- ACT party Board (elected) - and, yes, Frances' political
allegiances do seem to have swung from one side of the spectrum to
the other!
- Director of Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (elected)
- Director of a Council-owned company that administers 5 swimming
complexes
- President of her local Grey Power Association (elected).
Throughout this journey, Frances has continued to learn skills.
Early on, a series of short stints on committees gave her exposure
to a wide range of issues and of operating styles (good and bad!).
Rocketing up the Kennel Club's hierarchy in record time - my
favourite story - in order to change an obedience rule showed her
the value of goal-directed action. The political party experience
taught her valuable lessons about handling meetings. More recently
she has taken formal courses through the IoD and last year became
one of only 43 women with provisional accreditation from the
Institute.
Straight Up
I do like writers who are not afraid to march through the
minefield of gender politics, wearing their best non-PC boots!
Strong points of view are not only entertaining to read, they also
make me confront my own prejudices and beliefs. Frances does not
flinch from talking about:
- Queen Bees
- The Old Boys network
- What it means for women that men are the ones who have written
the boardroom rules
- How to frame stories and examples in language male directors
can relate to
- The stereotyping she still experiences from female staff
members of organisations of which she is a director (regardless of
whether she dresses in a power suit or not!)
My One Gripe
I am a pedant in matters of grammar, spelling and punctuation -
frustratingly, Frances' copy editor was not. By the last page, I
was more than ready to shoot this person. You have been warned!
New Ideas
Editing aside, I certainly came away with new ideas and
perspectives including Frances' take on networking (one of our
favourite topics!). Do your many and wide contacts help you find
Directorships, or does your high calibre network and what it can
bring to an organisation add to your allure as a potential
Director?
Whether you know a lot about governance already or are embarking
on your journey, there is likely to be something in this handbook
for you. This is because of the way Frances mixes her hard-won
experience and advice into a comprehensive coverage of the issues
surrounding a path to the Boardroom. At 73 pages, it will be both a
quick and an enlightening read.
Women at the Top was published by Stellaris Publishing
in 2009.
www.stellaris.co.nz
ISBN 978-0-473-14796-9