The ‘black box’ of the boardroom
Engbers visited 17 boardrooms of Dutch companies for her research, analyzing their meetings. Afterwards, she questioned each participant about what went unspoken, but was still on their minds. Through this, she managed to catch a glimpse of the 'black box' of the boardroom.
Engbers' research shows that the 'rules of the game' in boardrooms primarily revolve around substantive issues. Uncomfortable matters such as blind spots, group dynamics, and power relationships rarely receive explicit and formal attention. "Because these issues are not formally discussed but are informally acknowledged, blind spots and cognitive biases among board members and chairs are perpetuated," explains Marilieke Engbers. "For example, if the leadership of a board member is in question, commissioners might prefer to discuss this informally among themselves to avoid unnecessary tension and conflict with the board member. If there's a lack of good dialogue and decision-making around this sensitive topic, the board member might end up staying too long or leaving too soon, and tensions can escalate rapidly, especially if the media picks up on it."
Open communication is crucial
According to Marilieke Engbers, it's essential for commissioners and board members to place the right strategic topics on the agenda so that uncomfortable conversations in the boardroom cannot be formally avoided. 'But this also requires commissioners to be aware of the risk of their own cognitive biases and blind spots and not to jump to conclusions too quickly, especially when they are highly experienced.'
Having productive conversations like these requires new skills for which they are often not trained and which they may not see as important given the current rules of engagement. Therefore, Engbers suggests that it's crucial for the rules of the boardroom to change so that boards can lead their organizations in a way that enables employees to effectively tackle the significant challenges they increasingly face.
"Lone at the Top"
In addition to her research, Marilieke Engbers, along with Pim Bouwman, will launch the new book 'Eenzaam aan de Top, over het ongezegde, macht en denkfouten in de bestuurskamer' (translation: Lone at the Top: Unspoken Words, Power, and Cognitive Biases in the Boardroom) in May, building upon the conclusions drawn from the research. This book follows up on their previous work, "Among Commissioners," which explores how unspoken issues in the boardroom influence decision-making."