Chairman/CEO Partnership

Yes, I said partnership in the title.  At the end of the day, if you don’t have a partnership with your chief volunteer, you’re not in a good place.  Not for you and not for the organization.

We all know that the board, led by the Chairman, sets the policy and direction of your chamber, but it is the CEO that implements that policy with his or her staff.

The strength of the relationship between the Chairman and CEO will have a direct impact on the success of the chamber and its program of work.  You must have open and regular communication with your board Chairman.

And then there’s – Trust!

Without it you will have no partnership.  You must both come from a place where you trust each other.  You both need to be accountable for the work of the chamber and its success!

The CEO gets a new Chairman every year.  And each year that can bring new challenges and opportunities in the relationship between the two.

The Chairman and CEO should always stay focused on the two being aligned, focused and share the same vision for the Chamber.

For resources on the Chairman/CEO partnerships go HERE.

The First 90 Days as CEO

Take it in increments!

There have been many articles on the subject and I’m a fan of those who suggest segmenting your course of action.

The first week, the first month, the first quarter might be something that works for you.

The key is to have a strategy.  Internal and external (staff vs members), starting with your board.

Think of it as a listening tour.  Almost everything I’ve read starts with a listening tour of your members, in their environment, not your office.  Your members will appreciate it!

Once you’ve completed your tour, now it’s time to show your leadership, in sync of course with your board, and set a course for the chamber. Remember, it’s their chamber not yours.

And don’t forget to possibly engage a professional coach whose been in your shoes.  They could be tremendously helpful to you!

Don’t rely on the previous CEO.  You are the new CEO and there probably was a reason for the transition to new leadership (retirement, new direction, etc.).

Don’t get stuck in the old way of doing things.  You have a window of opportunity to chart a new course for the organization.  Make the best of it by getting the right tools in your toolbox, and a professional coach might just be the best thing, at least for your first year.

For more information on professional coaches go HERE.

Good luck!

Who Are The Leaders in Your Community?

Are you new to your chamber job?

If you're not from the area, how should you go about identifying the leaders in your "new" community?

At the very least, the following exercise will give you a chance to identify who the community leaders are on your terms, not just from a sheet of paper someone at the chamber gave you in your CEO orientation packet.

Here's a place to start:

• Identify board members of the other local business and community groups;
• Identify business sectors and size (retail, manufacturing, health care, etc); and
• Finally, meet with the leaders of those sectors (i.e., hospital CEO, plant manager of the biggest manufacturing plant in town, etc.).

Once you've collected this information see where the lists overlap. That's a great place to start.

From that list, meet with them individually and ask them questions about the community.  Find out who is in their inner circle of friends by asking them if there is someone they know that you should meet.

Sound familiar, we have a circle of friends in the social media space.

This time meet face-to-face with these folks. You might find that some of these individuals are not current members of your new chamber.

Ask why?

Let them know you're the new leader of the chamber and invite them to join or rejoin.

For a previous blog post on a new chamber CEO's first hundred days go HERE.

Succession Planning

As a chamber CEO it’s probably not on your radar screen to think about what the chamber would look like after you leave.

Some chamber execs stay a couple of years and some stay well over 20 years.

In either scenario you should have a succession plan in place for your chamber.  This is good for you and the organization.

I will take it a step further and say you should have a plan for each critical position at your chamber.  When coming up with a plan, it’s important you at least cover the basics.

The plan should at least include:

• A press release announcing a transition;
• A timeline for the selection process;
• A job description for the open CEO position; and
• A communications plan to keep your members informed on the process.

It’s important to be transparent in the process.  The other important thing is don’t make any knee jerk decisions.

You have the time to review your program of work and clearly identify the direction your organization should take.

There are many reasons why CEO’s leave:

• New job
• Retirement
• Contract not renewed

No matter the reason, your chamber needs to have a game plan to move forward.

The chamber will be around a lot longer then you or I. Do what’s best for the organization.

Formalize a succession plan today!

For more resources on succession planning by the Annie E. Casey Foundation go HERE.

The New Chamber CEO

There have been many articles and blog posts on a new chamber CEO’s first 100 days. 

Some chambers may have a formal onboarding program for the new CEO with an official plan of action for the new chief staff over their first 100 days.

If they don’t, and knowing while there’s no one list that fits all, here’s a few suggestions that should help you get started in creating your to-do-list when you start that new job.

• Meet with every board member in their office;
• Review staff resumes and job descriptions;
• Meet with each staff person individually and as a group;
• Ask specific questions and listen to everybody;
• Don’t make any changes overnight; and
• Communicate your vision to all (staff, volunteers and the community).

Remember, you’ve heard the saying, if you’ve met one chamber, you’ve met one chamber.  Tailor the above suggestions to the needs of your specific opportunity.

Create your list today for your next opportunity.

Good luck!

For additional resources go HERE and HERE.

Nonprofit Governance

On a recent plane trip across the country I had the opportunity to read a lengthy article by John Carver and Miriam Carver, titled Carver’s Policy Governance Model in Nonprofit Organizations.

I wanted to share my take of the article and encourage you to read the original HERE.

A few key concepts that hit home for me and I'd like to share with you were:

• Trade associations are owned by their members - chamber’s that means your small business owners own the chamber, not you, not the community.
• The Board as a body speaks for the ownership, not individual board members.
• The Board has one employee, the CEO. The board only speaks to the CEO, not staff.
• Boards should not just approve committee reports but use these documents as a basis for the board to make decisions (i.e. policy) on behalf of the organization.
• Board meetings are not about going over the past. Board meetings should be about large decisions and the future of the organization.

Do yourself and your chamber a favor and take the time to read this article and make your own notes and observations for further discussion with your board.

Read the entire article HERE.

It’s a great read!

Board of Director Job Descriptions: Do you Have One?

If not, you should.

You were hired based on your qualifications and how your skill set fit the CEO job description your chamber posted.

Shouldn’t your board members be held to that same standard? I think so.

Here are just a couple of key things that should be included when creating your board of directors job description:

• Leader in the community
• Financial support
• Intellectual support
• Full participation in board meetings, monthly luncheons and annual meeting
• CEO only, if possible
• Understands the role of a board to set policy, not implement policy - that’s your job

The last bullet is key. Our boards should be made up of business leaders that are setting policy for the organization to thrive today and in the years ahead.

Worrying about the color of the napkins at the next event is not time well spent by your leadership. Sound familiar?

Sample Board of Director Job Description

Nominating Committees: Are You Part of The Process?

It’s imperative that as a chamber CEO you are fully engaged in the nominating process.

I’ve talked before about the partnership between a board and the chief staff executive.

Historically, there are two main reasons why a CEO is relieved of their duty. A financial issue or when one gets crossways with the board or a board member.

Playing an equal role in the nominating committee process gives you the opportunity to fill your board with members who are:

• Committed to the organization
• Support the mission
• Understand the relationship between the board and chief staff executive
• Allows the chief staff executive to implement the board’s policy without interference

Not being a full participant in the nominating process is something that needs to be addressed immediately.

Don’t you want to play a part in picking your next boss?

For an article by Leigh Wintz, CAE on a new model of nominating go HERE.