Boardroom Basics: A Pocket Guide for Directors.

• Author: Lapides, Paul D.

Roger Ford's new book, Boardroom Basics: A Pocket Guide For Directors, addresses board issues that smaller, privately owned companies typically face. Well written and easy to read, this is an excellent first book for anyone looking for a quick introduction to the topic - the founder, CEO, or president of a private company or someone considering joining the board of a private company. It can also be useful as part of the orientation package for a new director.

The content generally is excellent, comprised of sections that address the role of the board in private companies, when private companies should form a board of directors, how to set objectives for the board, how to determine board composition, and tips for evaluating the CEO of a private company.

In the chapter, "A Question of Timing: When Do You Start Building Your Board?" Ford writes that "the best time to build a strong board and effective board is before you need it!" This is good advice, as Ford points out that in certain situations, such as unplanned succession or unexpected crisis, sometimes it may be too late to start building a board. This is an excellent, informative chapter that also addresses some of the typical reasons for developing boards: window dressing, stockholder/shakeholder involvement, networking, strategy and planning, independent assessment, specialized expertise, arbitration, management succession, and crisis management.

"How to be an Effective Director" is one of the best chapters in Ford's book, as his superb advice is useful to both new and experienced directors of either small or large companies - public, private, or not-for-profit. Ford provides some basic fundamentals of being a director, addressing what to do before board meetings (read, seek additional information) and what to do at the meetings (listen, ask questions, and engage in serious debates), among others. The basics of being a director haven't changed; but, my experience in the boardroom as a director, adviser, and teacher continues to demonstrate that too many directors don't prepare properly for meetings and have difficulty addressing the tough issues in the boardroom. The basics of being an effective director need to be reviewed on a regular basis.

While the content is very good, the composition of the book is somewhat problematic. Boardroom Basics essentially is an updated collection of articles Ford and his colleagues have published in Director's Monthly (published by the National...