Copyright American Society of Association Executives Jun 2004An association's board of directors and CEO form a partnership that must be built on trust. Key components to building trust are an understanding of respective roles and sound communication practices.
Understanding roles
The respective responsibilities of board and CEO can be blurry, especially at small-staff associations. It's possible, for example, that the board has not even provided you with a job description. Here are some key questions to ask to lay the groundwork for differentiated roles and responsibilities:
What is expected of you? If you were hired without a detailed job description, sit down with your president and officers for a frank discussion about expectations. Even if you do have a job description, consider having this discussion, as it's meant to clarify roles and establish trust.
Who is the chief spokesperson and association representative-you or the board chair? In my case, it depends. The board president often serves as the primary media contact. However, if an issue arises in my areas of expertise, such as legislative or regulatory issues, I serve as chief spokesperson. And while I meet with legislators, my president typically represents the association at meetings with other nonprofit organizations.
When is it necessary to get board approval on expenditures? At my organization, any expense that's not already in the budget must receive board approval. For example, if we have already spent our allocation for computer upgrades and we decide that a $500 software product would be of significant benefit to the association, I would consult with the board before making the purchase.
Establishing communication
With board directors coming and going, the foundation of a strong working relationship is effective communication. Following are some suggestions for establishing sound communication lines:
Give board members a taste of your life. Invite your president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer to your office for a day. Let them get their hands dirty answering phones and doing the work of the association. An excellent step toward building a relationship is having them understand what life at the association is really like.
Communicate regularly. For example, I send a weekly e-mail to my board president to update him on any important developments.
Be the first to deliver bad news. If a fundraising campaign is not going as well as expected, let your chair know-before the end of the campaign. If you have a disgruntled member who might contact the board, alert your chair of the situation.
Promise only what you can deliver. Just as with members, it is wise to under-promise and over-deliver with respect to your board.
Have all staff communication go through you. Directors should not assign tasks directly to your staff. All communication between board and staff should go through you. I use board orientations to make sure that directors understand the protocol.
Laying the groundwork to ensure a productive partnership between board and staff is one of a CEO's most important responsibilities. By attending to the communication details, executives can increase their chances for a successful working relationship.
| [Author Affiliation] |
| Trudy Aron, CAE |
| Trudy Aron, CAE, executive director, American Institute of Architects, Kansas Chapter, Topeka (staff size: 2; annual operating budget: $250,000); aron@aiaks.org |
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