Can Board Effectiveness Be Improved Using the Military After-Action Report Model to Supplement Self-Assessments?

On September 16, 2020, Jeffrey A. Sherman spoke at the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Colorado Chapter’s virtual event addressing relevant key questions for directors as we Lead Into A New Normal in a session titled, “Can Board Effectiveness Be Improved Using the Military After-Action Report Model to Supplement Self-Assessments?”

Board evaluations today are nearly universal—approximately 98% of S&P 500 boards conduct some form of annual board evaluation. Many boards are refreshing their approach to evaluation to make the process more effective. Stock market governance rules do not prescribe the process that must be used. A military after-action review (AAR) is a guided analysis of an organization’s performance, conducted at appropriate times during and at the conclusion of an event with the objective of improving future performance. By applying the AAR to board actions, members can receive timely feedback comparing actual output of a process with the intended outcome to improve their effectiveness.

Learn more about the event.