News on 15 December 2000
The Institute of Directors (IoD) says that it’s committed
to helping company directors achieve greater success through professional
development. The IoD believes that directors ‘cannot simply rely
on their experience but must constantly expand and update their knowledge
and skills to maintain their company's position in the marketplace.’
George Cox, Director General of the IoD commented: "The business
world is changing fast. In the boardroom what was excellent yesterday
is just good enough today and will be below par tomorrow. Directors need
to ensure that they have the relevant attributes, skills and knowledge
on a well-developed board to drive the organisation forward. These skills
are very different from those required at a management level with a 'helicopter
view' needed, focusing on the strategic direction of the company rather
than the day to day issues.”
Raising the professional standards of directors has always been one of
the IoD’s main goals. Business leaders themselves are ‘now realising
the importance of this issue’ with a 20% increase in the number of
directors attending open courses with the IoD over the last year.
