Curiouser and curiouser!

I always find my way back to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The 1865 Victorian novel intrigues me and I enjoy analysing the philosophical themes and deeper meanings scattered throughout the story. Alice’s journey was based on curiosity. Curiosity that led to an incredible adventure, filled with many perils and discoveries. The main theme I personally always like to take away is the importance of being curious in all aspects of life. It can take many forms, such as not being afraid to ask questions, an inquisitive mind-set, being open to and respecting the perspectives of others and being open to adapt and not fearing the ever changing world we live in.

The NCBE’s new whitepaper on Stakeholder Capitalism Create Shareholder Value: A Closer Look at How Corporate Governance is Changing, is worth a read and the section that especially struck a chord with me is the mention of the importance of curiosity:

“No matter the challenges boards face in the coming year, the duty of curiosity is key, both to meet the constantly evolving landscape of threats and to recognize and seize new opportunities.”

For me, not only in my personal life, but especially as a governance professional, this is key to supporting and providing valued services and solutions to our clients. Curiosity and forward-looking goes hand in hand and therefore it is key to keep our finger on the corporate governance pulse, locally and internationally to find solutions to match the current and future needs and requirements of our clients.

The Aspida Company Secretarial Services team’s intention for 2022 was clearly defined at the start of the year and still holds true: to be proactive and forward-looking (with the three main pillars thereof being optimism, growth and proactivity).

In order to be curious and forward-looking in one’s approach and commitment to clients, one must of course first take stock of the past and present, to fully understand and determine what the best approach should be when one is in fact forward-looking.

It is important to not only understand and agree the name and rules of the game (compliance), but to also ensure the game is played correctly (oversight). Then each player can choose how to play the game (governance).

Digitising a board meeting process also plays a key part in giving a board more time and resource to be curious and vigilant. The Aspida Company Secretarial Services offering now includes the added benefit of our team of experts operating within a board portal digital solution, designed with robust security features and intuitive interface to enhance the effectiveness of meetings, collaboration and decision-making for boards, committees, and executive leadership teams. We now offer our clients the board portal solution of choice: Boardvantage.

May we all endeavour to be more curious in all aspects of our lives. Perhaps we might be pleasantly surprised to find that such an approach can lead to a life full of adventure, compassion and understanding.