Practical Ways to Improve Board Effectiveness in 2026

Sherpany's 2026 guide argues that governance codes measure compliance, not whether a board is actually working, noting that only 13% of directors rate their board packs as extremely effective and that papers arriving late undermine preparation regardless of quality. The article provides actionable standards for board papers — specifying the purpose of each item as decision, input, or information — and links pre-read discipline directly to the quality of boardroom challenge and decision-making. For SEA founders building their first formal boards, this is an immediately applicable framework for raising the bar on board pack quality and meeting structure.