DECIDEDLY BETTER

Helping boards and executive teams make decisions they can stand behind

We all want to make good decisions, but the bigger the stakes, the more complex things become. Information overload, unclear expectations, and untested assumptions can leave boards uncertain and executive teams frustrated. Even when everyone’s doing their best, poor processes can sabotage good thinking.

Decidedly Better is a practical, intelligence and psychology-informed program designed to lift the quality, clarity and confidence of strategic decision-making by giving everyone a better structure to work from.

Delivered through two in-person half-day workshops and supporting work before, between, and after sessions, this program helps boards and executive teams gain align on how decisions are made and equip themselves with tools that are actually useful and build shared confidence in the decision-making process.

    Decidedly Better includes:

    Prework

    Before the workshops, we conduct a series of short check-ins with selected board members and executives to understand:

    • The current state of decision-making

    • Common frustrations and friction points

    • What great decision-making would look like in practice

    This context ensures the sessions are targeted, relevant, and aligned to your organisation’s real needs rather than generic ‘good practice’.

    Workshop 1 (Board Members and Executive Team)

    This session brings both groups together to:

    • Define what a ‘good decision’ looks like in your context

    • Clarify expectations around information, accountability, and risk

    • Map different types of decisions and who’s responsible for what, when

    • Identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for smoother collaboration

    Between workshops

    Using insights from Workshop 1, we work closely with your teams to develop:

    • Tailored structured techniques that supports strategic, operational and governance needs

    • Clear guidance on what information to include, how to structure it, and how to test it

    • Aligned versions of the tool that reflect the distinct but connected needs of the Executive Team and the Board

    This step is where the rubber hits the road, turning shared expectations into practical, fit-for-purpose frameworks.

      Workshop 2 (Executive Team)

      This hands-on session supports the Executive Team to:

      • Review and test draft decision assessment tools using real or recent decisions

      • Apply structured techniques to sharpen clarity, assess options, and manage risk

      • Build confidence in how decisions are framed and presented to the Board

      • Refine the tool based on feedback, making it something your team will actually use, not just file away

      Postwork

      After the workshops, we provide:

      • Support to fine-tune the tool based on trial use

      • Optional coaching or follow-up check-ins to ensure the approach sticks

      • A short summary guide or “decision pack checklist” to keep things simple and consistent

      MEETING IN THE MIDDLE

      How executive teams and boards can work together to make excellent decisions

      Meeting in the Middle is a short yet comprehensive program that enables:

      • a Board to clearly define and articulate what information they need from their Executive Team, and
      • the Executive Team to deliver the quality and quantity of information required by the Board on a consistent basis.

      What Meeting in the Middle includes:

      Prework

      Prior to the first workshop, Samantha will review the previous board pack and meeting minutes.

      Workshop 1 (Board Members)

      This half day in person workshop, which can be tacked on to a board planning day or retreat covers the following:

      • A review of where the organisation is currently at, and where the board wants the organisation to be, through retrospective data collection,
      • Feedback on robust and transparent decision making within the organisation, as per the prework review, and
      • An exploration into the expectations of the board, as they relate to different types of decisions i.e. financial, ethical or strategic.

      Workshop 2 (Executive Team)

      This half day in person workshop with the executive team will cover:

      • Education on how the board likes to operate and make decisions,
      • Facilitated problem solving, to improve communication with the board, meeting expectations as they relate to different types of decisions, and
      • Support to improve the board pack and/or other documents to ensure they provide information at the right quality and quantity to inform the board sufficiently, and thus expedite decision making.

      Postwork

      Following Workshop 2, the executive team will update their sections of the board pack and any relevant documentation. Samantha will then provide coaching on the tweaked pack before it is submitted to the board for round 1 reviews.