231. How many of us wish our work were more structured?

This season, every episode of OMG focuses on a question that directors really need to answer. OMG is written, produced, narrated and scored by Matt Fullbrook.   TRANSCRIPT: Question #29: how many of us wish our work were more structured? Ever notice how lots of people get uncomfortable the moment things get unpredictable? It’s both normal and understandable. And thankfully, most boards and executives approach their work together in a pretty structured and predictable way. But that can make it even more jarring when something unexpected happens, or when someone in the room starts suggesting (or insisting) that we try something new. Even though I personally feel more comfortable in situations that lean toward the unpredictable – at least most of the time – I think it’s obvious that there’s nothing right or wrong about preferring structure. And I bet you can picture how someone’s preference for structure and predictability might affect the way that they engage in discussions at a board meeting. As long as we’re sticking pretty close to the scheduled topics and not introducing any significant new information, they’re right at home. But instead of making an assumption that anyone – or everyone – is happy with the balance we have, why not ask? What if it turns out all of us would prefer to increase the predictability of our meetings? Wouldn’t that be an important bit of information?