The relationship between the CEO and the board is a critical aspect of an organisation’s success, and the relationship has seen some pretty big ups and downs over the last few years. There was a heavy focus on risk management during the early days of the pandemic, followed by “The Great CEO Swap-Out” as public health restrictions were lifted. Now, as a sense of normalcy returns, boards are shifting their attention to partnering with CEOs to understand and enhance their performance.
In an effective CEO-board partnership, communication is frequent, authentic, and empathetic, with high levels of emotional, mindfulness, and adversity intelligence and few surprises. When done correctly, a more robust CEO performance evaluation can set the stage for such a relationship and provide a thorough understanding of what risk and performance levels are acceptable to each party.
What Boards Want in a CEO
Here are some areas your board of directors will likely be assessing in their CEO performance evaluation:
- Mission & Vision Alignment. Are the organization’s goals linked to the mission? Is equal attention being paid to both mission and vision? Are customer and employee expectations and obligations being met?
- Talent Management & Development. Is the company’s knowledge base growing? Have areas for new expertise and perspective been identified and filled?
- Financial Performance: Are financial goals forecasted, monitored, and achieved accurately and effectively?
- Values & Culture Impact: Is the CEO living the organization’s values as an example to all employees and parties who engage with the organization?
- And more… boards may also include the following criteria in their CEO performance appraisals: board partnership, relationship building, human capital, risk, and ESG. Every board, CEO, and organization’s needs are different, and performance reviews will be customized accordingly.
Similar to the context of a performance review, a CEO looking to take on a role on a board of directors should include the above details on their board documents. To find out how we can help you get your board documents ready for a board interview, book a complimentary and confidential call with us here.
Let Me Help You With Your Next Board Role
Mary Elizabeth Bradford is a Certified Executive Resume Writer (CERW), Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM), Certified Master Resume Writer & Executive Editor (CMRW+EE), Certified Master Career Director (MCD), Certified International Advanced Resume Writer (CARW), and Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE). She has received the International Board Director Competency Designation (IBDC.D), Mindfulness Intelligence Leadership Excellence Certification (MQLE.D), and is a member of Career Directors International, Career Thought Leaders, The Professional Association of Resume Writers, The National Resume Writers Association, and Affiliate Member of the Institute of Coaching at McLean, Harvard Medical School Affiliate.
Mary Elizabeth Bradford and her elite team of award-winning, certified, top executive resume writers and former top executive recruiters and global HR executives help many of the world’s premier CEOs and thought leaders secure the transitions and compensation packages they want.
If you’re interested in learning how I can create a powerful executive resume for you, click here to set up a 15-minute introductory call. I offer several executive resume writing services that also include coaching, as well as LinkedIn optimization, resume distribution, and more. Let me help you create a career package and strategy that work.
