Nairobi, March 25 -- During board evaluations for clients, we often insert a question asking whether the board has a work plan. Quite often, directors respond yes and, on further interrogation, they claim that the board is good at sticking to its meeting calendar and agenda.

A board work plan is not the board meeting calendar. Neither is it the board agenda.It is an overarching road map to where the board wants to go during the next calendar year.

Meetings aside, boards should be bringing in external experts to advise on strategy, the economy, sustainability, cyber security and a whole other slew of burning platforms that companies are grappling with. Boards should be meeting key stakeholders like customers and employees.

Boards should...