While knowing roles and responsibilities between Board Chair and CEO/ED is crucial, one area that tends to be overlooked by many yet is supported by research is trust. “Nonprofit leaders need to recognize that the Board Chair-Executive Director relationship is an important and powerful resource that can be leveraged in support of the organization’s mission,” says Mary Hiland in the Journal of Nonprofit Management.

Trust can be created by focusing on relationship-building activities, spending time getting to know each other, engaging actively in dialogue, and suspending assumptions around motivations in decision-making instances.

Trust takes time to build and allows for honesty in communication. Board Chairs and CEO/EDs must commit to regular and frequent times together both on the phone and in person. Are you looking to build trust in this area? Consider the following:

• Meet once per month for coffee/lunch utilizing a standing agenda that includes time for both “business” and “life” matters. Recognize that it is okay to get to know each other outside of just the working relationship.

• Have a weekly standing check-in call that is 15-30 minutes and includes whatever is on “the list.”

• Evaluate the types of discussions you are having. Are you utilizing some of your time for brainstorming/strategy or is it all focused on fact relaying?

• Review each other’s skill sets, strengths, and weaknesses and partner together on how to best utilize those for the benefit of the organization.

• Spend additional time crafting board agendas together and prepping each other before board meetings. Try to avoid “gotcha ya” moments where miscommunication or lack of communication create tension in the meetings.

• When in doubt, communicate more than less.

At the end of the day, building trust boils down to building relationships. It requires “intentionality.”

Is the relationship between your Board and ED/CEO rootED in trust?

Reference:

Hiland, Mary. 2008. The Board Chair-Executive Director Relationship: Dynamics that Create Value for Nonprofit Organizations. Journal for Nonprofit Management.