The key to a successful board of directors is healthy collaboration between the board chair and the organization’s executive director. It sets the tone for how the board and staff work together by empowering the board to focus on governance while staff concentrate on managing the organization.
The health of this relationship is a critical factor in successfully navigating a quickly changing environment. The challenge is that we often leave this collaboration up to chance. We base its success on how well personalities and priorities mix. This doesn’t have to be the case.
The chair and executive director can work together on three basic activities to benefit the organization, even if they disagree on specific issues.
- Bring oxygen into the boardroom. Recognize and reflect on the strengths of individual board members and staff, as well as the organization as a whole. If the board chair and executive director facilitate discussions through an assets-based approach, they enable deeper critical thinking. This creates an environment that doesn’t dwell on gaps and challenges but rather looks for the next opportunity to create a way forward.
- Explore connections. Board and staff members often focus on different aspects of mission execution. Collaboration between the board chair and executive director can significantly advance governance and management by illuminating how seemingly disparate approaches may be interconnected. For instance, a board member’s suggestion of various program and marketing tactics can be reframed into a broader discussion of the intended impact of this work. This discussion can then lead to a deeper examination of the organization’s progress and the resources required to take the next steps forward.
- Create resolution. It’s not always clear which decisions an executive director should make and which should come from the board of directors. Often, critical decisions require both to play a role. The board chair and executive director can avoid a great deal of confusion and unnecessary conflict by proactively mapping out the decision-making process for a specific issue or action. The key is to then use this map (or set of steps) to be transparent about the process with the full board and staff (or leadership teams).
A strong and healthy partnership between the executive director and the board chair is crucial for organizational success. It ensures a balance between governance and management, which empowers both the board and staff. By fostering constructive dialogue and clear decision-making, the leaders can minimize confusion and conflict, enabling the organization to advance with clarity and purpose. A successful organization thrives on their collaboration.