Recent research undertaken by AoC, ACEVO, and nfpResearch looked into board behaviours and dynamics and the chair-CEO relationship. Here, AoC CEO Liz Lowther explores some of the findings and some practical suggestions for chairs, CEOs, and boards. Full findings can be found here.

This is the first blog of two about this research. 

What makes a board effective? And what do chairs and CEOs need from each other to work well together?

These were some of the questions we looked at in a recent survey on board behaviours and dynamics with ACEVO and nfpResearch. There were some interesting findings which can help chairs and CEOs work well together and to enhance the work of their board too. In this blog, and the next, I’ll pull out a number of the research results and highlight some recommendations for chairs, CEOs and boards.

The chair – CEO relationship

The working partnership between the chair and the CEO is such a crucial one to get right. An effective relationship can strengthen an organisation, but if the partnership is fraught with tensions or miscommunications, it can have serious repercussions for the board and the charity.

The good news from this research is that the large majority of CEOs and chairs rate their relationships and their boards positively. 

What do chairs and CEOs want from each other?

In many of the answers there was some broad agreement between chairs and CEOs about what skills, qualities, and behaviours they wanted from each other.

Open and honest communication, mutual trust and respect, and clear roles and boundaries were highly rated by both roles – no surprises there. 

However, there were two points where there was a big difference in the answers between chairs and CEOs. When asked what qualities are important for a chair, CEOs rated respect and empathy a lot higher than chairs did. Likewise, when asked what makes for a good chair-CEO partnership, CEOs rated understanding and support much higher than chairs did.

This suggests that while chairs and CEOs are largely agreed on the importance of honesty, transparency, communication, and clear roles, there is a need for chairs to recognise, and prioritise, building support and empathy into their communication and relationship with their CEO – something that perhaps matters now more than ever given the tough operating environment many CEOs are dealing with.

What you can do:

• Build in time for support: With time often of the essence, particularly with the chair as a volunteer who may be fitting the role around multiple other commitments, it’s tempting to focus your regular meetings and catch-ups on discussing objectives and progress. But are there opportunities to build in other types of communication? If you feel that your agreed schedule doesn’t allow for more flexible, in-depth, or supportive conversation, is that something you need to intentionally make time for so your CEO has the opportunity to talk about any worries, concerns, and support needs?
• Our guide, A Question of Balance, touches on this and more aspects of the chair-CEO relationship. An updated version will be released later this year. 
• Our joint training with ACEVO, Dynamic Duo, is a one-day workshop for chairs and CEOs to come together to build a strong foundation for their partnership. It’ll help you both consider what you want and need from your partnership, and how you can work well together. Explore Dynamic Duo dates.

Wellbeing 

The above point about providing support is echoed in another finding – 1 in 5 chairs and CEOs have accessed wellbeing support in the past year. Again, this is no surprise when both these leadership roles carry a lot of responsibility, and many charities and non-profits face multiple external challenges. 

In addition to those external pressures, chairs and CEOs may also find themselves facing difficult behaviours from their own boards. The research found that more than half of chairs and CEOs have “occasionally or often” experienced challenging behaviours on their board.

Charity leaders, both the executive and board, need support and guidance to help them through challenging times. But not all charities, particularly smaller non-profits, have access to employee support programmes. 

This is where support services like ACEVO’s CEO in Crisis helpline, and AoC’s Chairs in Need programme, are much needed.

What you can do:

Look for sources of support, training, and guidance for your chair or CEO. Some suggestions:

• AoC offers a Chairs in Need service for one-to-one guidance, plus mentoring, peer support sessions, and a supportive community of chairs and trustees for insights and encouragement.
• ACEVO has a CEO in Crisis service which can offer support and guidance, as well as an online peer community. 
• For advice around HR issues, ACAS offers a free helpline - https://www.acas.org.uk/contact

Find out more

• To find out more about the AoC, and what we do to support chairs and their boards, visit our website.

AoC will be looking at some other findings from the research in another blog to follow.