The new UK Corporate Governance Code, formerly the Combined Code, that came into effect on the 29 June, demonstrates that the private sector have finally realised the benefit of a more diverse board, as sound business sense, and a way of avoiding the group think that led to the current economic crisis.

The code seeks to improve the accountability and increase the diversity of the private sector boards, recognising that a board comprised of talented individuals, who bring with a range of experiences and perspectives are more effective, more challenging and more efficient than the traditional board formed of people, who it often seemed were appointed for their similarities to other board members. The Code makes some very specific recommendations about trying to increase the gender diversity of board -at present, only 10% of directors in Britain’s top 100 companies are women, and 25 of the top firms have no women board members at all.

New board members, the code states, should be appointed on merit, against objective criteria, and with due regard for the benefits of diversity, including gender diversity. The Public Sector has been committed to recruiting on merit for some time, and whilst OCPA seeks to make sure appointments are transparent, it is clear from the conversations we have with participant on our About Time courses that the application process is far from straight-forward.

It will be interesting to see how the private sector approaches these recommendations, how quickly, if at all, any changes will be seen, and if there are successes in increasing the diversity of board, what the public sector will be able to learn from these.

Common Purpose’s About Time campaign to get more and more people involved in public appointments, from across a diverse range of backgrounds, walks of life, experiences and opinions has a celebrity champion! Bonnie Greer is one of the Government Equalities Office’s Diversity Ambassadors, and is doing a fantastic job at raising issues of board diversity in the national media.

In addition to the video above, Bonnie is interviewed in The Guardian’s Society section this week, talking about why it is so important for people who aren’t the ‘usual suspects’ to think about contributing to public boards, and sharing her experiences of board life. Read the article here

Bonnie suggests diversifying boards defeats complacency. It is not she says, about defeating inequality, but about keeping boards fluid. This has been at the heart of About Time since it began, boards need the breadth diversity brings to help them spot opportunities and trends. It’s not about ticking boxes, but about ensuring that the most talented individuals are appointed to board positions, to challenge the board, and stop them getting complacent.

Last week, I went to the Government Equalities Office’s launch of their new Ambassadors for Public Appointments network, and the two new development courses we’re running in partnership with them. The venue was packed, and the atmosphere fantastic, as Maria Eagle and Bonnie Greer issued their call for action, highlighting the importance of public boards in making decisions, and the importance of having individuals with a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives on every board.

Speaking to the ambassadors from across the country, of many different backgrounds, ages and with a wealth of experience between them, it was clear that everyone of them had learnt a great deal from their non-executive experience, and had acquired skills and confidence that they used in all aspects of their lives. The benefits of taking up a public appointment are many – for both the communities and wider society that the boards work with, and as part of your continual learning and development.

It would be great to hear what you’ve learnt through your non-exec roles. Have you developed new skills? Were you expecting this or has some of it been a surprise for you?

If you’d like to get involved, to take the first step of your non-exec carrier, or to make the leap to holding a more senior regional or national public appointment, why not apply for one of our About Time Public Leaders Courses.

We asked 70 senior leaders to share their tips on enabling boards to make effective decisions. Here are some of them.

• Use all available knowledge and experience to make decision- is there another organization using this particular method/equipment/ policy. Can the board learn from others’ experiences?
• Don’t respond to operational pressure to make a decision- the board is responsible for doing what is best for the organisation overall.
• Take necessary time to make the decision – don’t rush into it
• Consider all decisions to be made in light of the organisations overall objectives – and be sure that any decision made contributes toward the over all achievement of the organisations objectives
• Where possible invite an executive with knowledge of the decision to be made to present the business case to the board
• Think strategically about financial implications of decision making
• Consider the implications of any decision and the impact it will have on the organization
• Be sure that any board member who may have a conflicting interest declares this and that the board then acts appropriately
• Collect together all the relevant information prior to the meeting of the board, so board members can read and prepare in advance
• Document the decision to be made and ensure a shared clear understanding of the issue.
• Be absolutely clear about the decision the board wishes to make.
• The board demand regular reviews of strategy to assess relevance of organizational objectives in a changing world; the board rigorously review their objectives to be sure they are ‘fit for purpose’

What would your top tip be? Share it with us in the comment box below.