How to Maximise Your Impact Between Board Meetings as a NED

What separates exceptional NEDs from those who struggle to add value? It's not what happens during the monthly board meeting - it's what happens in the 720 hours between meetings.

Beyond the Boardroom: Where Real NED Value is Created

I'm consistently surprised to hear stories of experienced Non-Executive Directors who treat their role as a once-a-month commitment, showing up to board meetings without meaningful engagement in between.

One technology NED was concerned about "overstepping boundaries" so limited his involvement to formal board sessions and the occasional email response. Another manufacturing NED felt uncertain about "how much contact was appropriate" with the management team outside of scheduled meetings.

This hands-off approach is costing both the Non-Executive Director and the business valuable opportunities for impact. The truth is that your greatest value as an SME NED often comes from the informal guidance, quick decisions, and strategic input you provide between board meetings.

Let's explore four crucial insights about maximising NED impact beyond the boardroom.

Insight 1: Your Availability Between Meetings Defines Your Value

The most effective SME NEDs understand that real business doesn't pause for monthly board meetings. Critical decisions arise, unexpected challenges emerge, and strategic opportunities present themselves on their own timeline - not yours.

SME owners want more than governance oversight once a month. They want trusted advisors who are accessible when it matters most. Your willingness to take a quick call when the CEO is wrestling with a supplier issue or respond thoughtfully to a strategic question via email demonstrates genuine partnership.

One retail NED shared: "My CEO texted me at 9pm about an acquisition opportunity that had a short deadline. My immediate response and guidance over the weekend helped them secure a deal that doubled their market reach."

Instead of viewing your role as confined to formal meetings, position yourself as a strategic resource available for the moments that matter. Be accessible when decisions can't wait in your NED role.

Insight 2: Informal Guidance Often Creates the Biggest Breakthroughs

Many NEDs miss this crucial point: the most transformative conversations rarely happen in formal boardroom settings. They happen during the coffee break, the walk to the car park, or the impromptu call when the CEO is processing a difficult personnel decision.

SME owners value the safety of discussing sensitive issues away from the full board dynamic. A manufacturing CEO told me: "My NED's most valuable contribution wasn't during our board meetings. It was the 20-minute conversation in my office after a particularly challenging session when I needed someone to help me think through whether to replace my finance director."

These informal moments require different skills than boardroom governance. Rather than focusing solely on formal board procedures, develop the emotional intelligence to recognize when the CEO needs a sounding board, not a director.

Create space for the conversations that matter most in your Non-Executive Director capacity.

Insight 3: Strategic Availability Doesn't Mean Operational Involvement

The challenge many Non-Executive Directors face is knowing where the line exists between valuable support and inappropriate interference. The key is being strategically available without becoming operationally involved.

Strategic availability means:

• Taking calls about major decisions that could impact business direction
• Reviewing important documents before key meetings or negotiations
• Providing input on senior hiring decisions or organizational changes
• Offering perspective during crisis situations or unexpected challenges

Operational involvement means:

• Getting involved in day-to-day management decisions
• Regularly communicating with staff below the senior management level
• Taking on project management responsibilities
• Making decisions that should rest with the executive team

A logistics NED shared his approach: "I tell my CEOs I'm available for anything that keeps them awake at night, but I won't get involved in anything that's part of their normal working day."

Support the big decisions, stay out of daily operations when maximizing impact between meetings.

Insight 4: Your Network Becomes Their Competitive Advantage

One of your most underutilized assets as an SME NED is your professional network. Between meetings, you have countless opportunities to open doors, make introductions, and share connections to accelerate the business.

SME owners often operate in relatively insular networks compared to larger businesses. Your broader perspective and relationships can provide access to opportunities they'd never discover independently.

A software NED recently shared: "I introduced my CEO to a potential strategic partner I'd worked with in my previous role. That introduction led to a £2m joint venture that transformed their revenue model."

These network-based contributions often deliver more value than formal governance oversight. Instead of hoarding your connections, actively look for ways to leverage your relationships for the business's benefit.

Your network is their opportunity in your NED engagement.

Creating Exceptional Value as a Non-Executive Director

Exceptional SME NEDs do more than just govern - they genuinely partner with management teams to drive success. This partnership extends far beyond monthly board meetings into the daily decisions, strategic opportunities, and unexpected challenges that define business success.

As someone who has both served on boards and appointed NEDs to my businesses, the directors who create the most value are those who understand this extended role. They're accessible without being intrusive, supportive without being controlling, and generous with their expertise without overstepping boundaries.

There's nothing wrong with maintaining clear boundaries around your NED involvement if that approach works for you and the business. Many successful board relationships operate with more formal structures and defined communication channels.

I'm simply encouraging you to consider how expanding your engagement beyond formal meetings can increase your impact and deliver greater value to the businesses you serve.

Positioning Yourself for Maximum NED Impact

The opportunities to add value exist in those 720 hours between board meetings - the question is whether you're positioned to capture them.

What has been your experience with engagement between meetings? Have you found effective ways to support management teams outside formal sessions? Or do you prefer maintaining clearer boundaries between meetings?

Understanding how to maximize your impact between board meetings can significantly differentiate you from other Non-Executive Directors and create more value for the SME businesses you serve.