Is Your Board or Committee Chair Too Nice?

We often appoint someone as chair because everyone likes them, they are popular, and they get on well with everyone.

Is that why some boards and committees fail to achieve what they set out to do? A key factor to successful boards is that they have chairs who ensure things get done, who target the strategic issues, and who ask the ‘difficult to ask’ questions.

What is that our managers are not doing that they should to have the organisation achieve the year’s annual plans? Are they reporting each meeting on the progress of achievement of that plan as approved, or is their report a litany of ‘look what we have done since our last meeting’ and ‘ haven’t I done well”?

It calls for a determined chair to reject such a report and require that the actions expected to be reported on, are reported on – the ones that will progress the strategic direction set by the board.

Being fair, firm but not always popular goes with the territory of being chair. Success for your organisation is their accolade, not an award for popularity don’t you think?

See here for ‘What does a Board Chair do” for practical advice on coming up to speed on the role, duties and responsibilities of a Chair

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Tags: Board Member, Boards, Charitable Trusts Pre-Schools and Societies, Governance

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