A Guide for New CEOs: Getting Off on the Right Foot with Your Board

One of the most challenging aspects of any executive’s ascension to the role of Chief Executive Officer is no longer having a boss, but rather a Board of Directors to report to.  This requires some different skills and a different approach to getting things done. Even if the new CEO has worked with the board for several years as a senior executive, the transition is critical. It should never be ignored or taken for granted. The first year after a new CEO’s appointment is an opportunity to start the CEO/Board relationship off on the right foot, avoiding pitfalls and setting a tone for a constructive board/ management relationship that can yield significant benefits for years to come.

The corporate secretary is in a unique position to guide a new CEO on this important topic – and this Webcast will help you to offer constructive insights and helpful advice that can make a big difference.

Key subjects will include:

• One-on-one meetings with every director
• • Why they’re important, what format should be used and what questions should be discussed.  Even if the CEO held director meetings during the CEO succession/selection process, these are entirely different: During the prior meetings he/she was the job applicant to become CEO.  This conversation in the foundation of the CEO/Board relationship.
• Board engagement in strategy
• • Typically strategy is any new CEO’s first major “test” in terms of how effectively he/she will interface and work with the board on a critical issue.  Far too many CEOs go into these sessions in ‘presentation mode’ only to discover their board is disappointed in their approach. Discover how to incorporate board input into the strategy process effectively without ceding the ultimate strategic decision to the board. 
• Using the board evaluation as a constructive tool in
• • If ever there was a time to consider a more robust approach to the board evaluation – away from the “tick the box forms” this is it.  Providing the new CEO with a snapshot of the board’s key strengths and potential areas for improvement is a critical first step in the new board/CEO relationship. 
  • A well-designed interview based board evaluation can also explore fundamental issues that set the tone of the relationship – including how the board may want to work differently with the new CEO, the CEO evaluation process, director expectations, board composition, board frustrations with pre-reading materials and management presentations (nearly 75% of boards are frustrated in this area – and this can be a big win for a new CEO to unearth and tackle).

March 2020 Cancellation Policy

Speaker

Bev Behan
President, Board Advisor, LLC. 

(Click on the speaker's name to see her biography.)