Key themes
- Components of an Effective Board
- 5 things that successful boards do
- Kantor’s 4 Player Model – ‘Move, Follow, Oppose, Bystand’ Action Stances
The role of Board Member Behaviours in Effective Governance
We finished Session 1 by asking you to assess your own response(s) to a recent ‘High Stakes’ situation and any changes this had on your behaviour. In this video class, Margaret explores how the right culture can drive Board success and the role default behaviours of individual Board Members can play in helping create this.
The role of Board Member Behaviours in Effective Governance (07:33)
NOTE: The Presentation Slides used in this video class are available for download via the ‘Materials’ tab at the top of the page.
The 4 Player Model
Dr. David Kantor’s 4 Player Model describes the four types of vocal act that people make in conversation (as opposed to the content or emotion involved). We call these vocal acts, Action Stances. People who have a high level of conversational capability are able to adopt any of these actions when the need arises. Most of us have a preference for one or two vocal acts which become our default behaviour.
Overview
The four vocal acts in any conversation are:
- Move – sets the direction and initiates action “let’s have a look at our agenda”
- Follow – supports a stance that someone else has taken “I think that’s a good idea”
- Oppose – challenges the action on the table “I disagree. There is something much more important we need to talk about”
- Bystand – an expression of reflection on the actions being made (often bridging different views) “we seem to have different views, maybe there is time to do both”
Move on to the next class, where you can self-assess your own preferred Action Stances. Knowing your preferred Action Stances and being able to read the Action Stances of others will help you as a leader to recognise the stuck patterns of conversation in your board and in your own face-to-face talk. As you develop your skill in this area you will be able to intervene deliberately to improve the quality of your conversations.