The REAL Job of the Board Chair

It may well be that misinterpretation of the role and responsibilities that fall to the Chief Elected Officer (i.e. the Chair of the Board) lies at the heart of many stressful relationships between a Board and their Chief Staff Officer (Executive Director, CEO). And again, let me state at the outset: I have little doubt those who rise to and eventually serve as Chief Elected Officer almost always have the best of intentions. They are no doubt committed to the organization's cause and mission, and have served as a dedicated volunteer for years before assuming the role of Board Chair.

But here is how I define the role of Board Chair:

The job of the Board Chair is to manage the activities of the Board not the activities of the organization!

So, what are the Chair's job outputs? The Chair should focus on building Board agendas that are chock full of issues that the Board should address (trends, strategies, policy development and monitoring). The Chair should ensure Board committees are following through with their work. The Chair should focus on issues related to Board performance (i.e. professional development needs, Board composition).

I frequently come into contact with Board Chair's who view their job as managing the Chief Staff Officer. That's not the Chair's job - that's the Board's job! The Board as a whole determines organizational priorities and hold the Chief Staff Officer accountable for outcomes and complaince with Board policy - this is what Board meetings are for.

Every Board needs to put into place a job description for the Chair that makes this distinction abundently clear. I often wonder, when I meet a Board Chair intent on "minding the store", precisely who is minding the Board. Sadly, I almost often come to the conclusion that the answer is no one.

Two Questions Boards Should Ponder

I'm preoccupied with thoughts of a workshop I'm doing next week for an organization that has no documented governing policy, no strategic plan, and no collective Board vision for the organization.

It's clear from discussions I've had with some members of the Board that they care deeply about their organization. Sadly, the problems facing the organization today are predictable given the lack of policy and strategic goals, both of which are clearly Board responsibilities. Yet again, a Board that hasn't been governing, because they don't understand what governance entails. Sadly, I come across this circumstance too often - bright and capable individuals who arrive at a Board table with a sincere desire to do the right thing, but failing because at no time were they actually taught how to govern.

I've drafted two critical questions to advance to the Board at the session, questions I think every Board without governing policy and strategic goals should ask themselves.

1. Can an Executive Director/CEO truly demonstrate success to the Board if the Board has not made it clear from the start what success will look like?
2. Is it realistic to expect an Executive Director/CEO to satisfy the particular needs of individual Board members, each of whom may have a different idea of what success will look like?

I'm really looking forward to the discussion that will (hopefully) result when I raise these questions. If any of you ever advance them to your Board, I've love to hear what resulted from the discussion that followed.