At Watson, we love seeing the celebration of all things Canadian. And as the most experienced board advisory firm in Canada, we want to add to the conversation. We’re proud of Canadian boards, their practices, and the directors and leaders who support them.

We’ve worked with over 500 boards across the full spectrum of sectors, ownership structures, and stages of evolution, so we’ve had plenty of opportunity to see firsthand what makes Canadian boards stand out.

There were many reasons to choose from, but here are our top 5:

1. Diversity isn’t at odds with our patriotism.

Because Canadian culture has evolved away from a melting pot mentality, embracing diversity and difference in the boardroom isn’t misaligned with our patriotism. That does not mean the work is done. Barriers remain, and boards still have room to become more reflective of the broader Canadian population. But our culture, history, and national lore support this shift. This is why so many of our director and executive search mandates prioritize diversity.

2. Boards can take a broader view.

Canadian corporate statutes allow boards to consider a broader array of stakeholder interests when making decisions. While directors must always act in the best interests of the corporation, it may also be appropriate, although not mandatory, to consider the impact of corporate decisions on the interests of shareholders, employees, suppliers, creditors, consumers, governments and the environment. This is why, when we deliver board evaluations, boards want to know how they can continuously improve their decision-making, including by better understanding the perspectives of their Indigenous partners and rightsholders, customers, employees and beneficiaries.

3. Decision-making is more collaborative.

Our Canadian attitudes toward authority are just a little more egalitarian and more consensual toward decision-making. While that can mean decisions take longer to make, these attitudes also lead to richer discussions, better decisions, and a greater willingness to integrate the best parts of multiple viewpoints, rather than relying on hierarchy and authority to reach a decision.  We see evidence of this when coaching Board Chairs on how to get the best out of their directors and their diverse points of view.

4. Canadians are not overly partisan.

While some studies note signs of increasing polarization in Canada, one recent research study noted that fewer than one-in-ten Canadians brand themselves politically as right or left. And that’s a good thing. It creates more room for respectful disagreement around ideas rather than debates along party lines. Constructive dissent leads to stronger board performance. In contrast, a recent study in the United States found that executives who don’t align politically with the majority of their team are more likely to leave the firm, especially in recent years, and their company’s stock price responds negatively to the announcement of their departure. While many boards experience culture challenges, good governance is about finding common ground – and we help boards do just that, facilitating alignment and encouraging them to embrace constructive conflict with each other and their leadership teams.

5. Boards are shaping a better Canada.

In our work across all sectors and geographies of Canada, we see the impact of the 500+ Boards Watson has supported with building a strong board, finding and supporting the CEO, improving the Board’s performance and evolving their governance framework. Every day we see Canadians:

• • Providing for the greater good, through service on the boards of credit unions, mutuals, cooperatives, jointly sponsored pension plans, member-based associations, universities, and hospitals.
  • Showing up to make tough decisions and overcome challenges that help grow our economy and provide Canadians with jobs while sitting on the boards of family enterprises, private companies and publicly traded companies.
  • Setting aside self-interest to govern in the public interest on the boards of professional regulators, Crown corporations, and government agencies.

That last one may not be uniquely Canadian, but it is why Watson Board Advisors is a proudly independent Canadian Benefit Company.

For all these reasons, we are proud to work with you!