A Golden Journey: Finding a Shared Understanding in Building the Chair & Chief Executive – 10 Questions to Ask
The Chief Executive may find it helpful to reflect on the following questions:
1. How satisfied are you that the Chair understands her responsibility for leading the board effectively?
2. How satisfied are you that the Chair actively leads the evolution of the board in relation to its composition, competencies, relationships to meet current and future challenges.
3. How satisfied are you that you have a good working relationship with board as a whole?
4. As Chief Executive what can you do to work with the Chair to enhance the governance of the organisation?
5. Does the board effectively liaise with you in your role as Chief Executive and with the Directors on matters relating to strategy, governance and executive performance?
The Chair may find it helpful to reflect on the following questions:
6. Does the board undertake regular reviews of the Chief Executive’s performance and development?
7. As Chair if you undertake the review of the Chief Executive’s performance, do you report the outcome of the performance review to the board? How supportive in the board in bringing out the best in the Chief executive?
8. How satisfied are you that you ensure that the board adopts a relevant and appropriate agenda for consideration at Board meetings that engenders the engagement of the Chief Executive, the Executive Team and board members?
9. How satisfied are you that you effectively manage discussion of agenda items allowing sufficient time for complex issues and for robust dialogue. Do you encourage active participation and engagement in meetings by all board members?
10. As facilitator, how satisfied are you that you ensure there is a shared sense of the decisions that have been made? Do you clarify and confirm decisions made and actions to be taken at the end of discussions?
Assess and evaluate to see if answers to these questions take this crucial relationship forward.