The board room of the future will need to be a space that is specifically designed to promote the health and well-being for its participants. It must also be an environment that supports the use of digital technology to make more efficient and effective meetings.
Furniture for meeting rooms, for instance, must be flexible to allow more than one person to attend the same meeting without compromising privacy or efficiency. The room must be equipped with the latest sound design and high-quality sound system that guarantees that those in person and on the internet can be heard clearly. Natural light is needed to help reduce eye strain during meetings. According to a recent Harvard Business Review study, access to natural lighting is the top-rated office benefit, far ahead of more traditional and predictable options like cafeterias on site and fitness centers.
Other innovations in technology that could be helpful in the boardroom include real-time analytics, “living” management information taking the concepts of dashboards and infographics a step further, and crowdsourcing technology which can offer an outside view from other stakeholders. These tools can help the board better assess risks and create a stronger foundation for making decisions.
In the future the boardroom will need to include more sustainability experts. Board members will need to be aware of the impact business activities have on the environment, climate change, biodiversity, and human rights. It is also about including new skills like the ability to evaluate the impact of ESG issues on long-term financial outcomes.