Nonprofit Leaders & Members Roundtable
Nonprofit Chief Executive Performance Appraisal: A Conversation with Board Members and Nonprofit CEOs facilitated by Ed Tomey
Who Should Attend: Board members, Board Leaders, Board Executive Committee Members, Executive Directors and CEOs, and others interested in Nonprofit Executive Performance Appraisal.
Why THIS Roundtable topic? The atmosphere in the boardroom often changes -- for the worse -- when someone announces, "It's time -- or past time -- for the Board to do an assessment of our chief executive's performance." Few people are comfortable with the process that lies ahead. Yet, we have discovered that most nonprofit chief executives WANT feedback on how they are doing in their roles, and many Board members WANT to share what they see/think/feel about the chief executive's performance over the past year or so. But if that's the case, then why doesn't anyone ever jump up and shout: "It's performance appraisal time and I am SO excited!"?
What happens, in more cases than not, is that the Board -- and the chief executive -- slide into a performance appraisal process without sufficient forethought and agreement on just WHAT will be appraised and HOW. This often leads to a scrambling development of a makeshift approach that generates awkwardness and tension in just about everyone. And, for the next several weeks, there are many whispered conversations and likely several emails with pleas that what is being communicated not be shared beyond the addressees.
Typically, the hesitancy, secrecy, absence of enthusiasm, and strained relationships are due to insufficient knowledge, skills, or experience in:
- Planning and carrying out an effective appraisal of performance that is based on previously agreed upon goals and a process that have been jointly developed by the Board and the chief executive – a process intended to help the chief executive recognize her/his strengths and areas that need improvement;
- Determining and setting expectations of the chief executive's performance;
- Measuring the chief executive’s performance according to the shared goals;
- Setting expectations for how the Board will support the chief executive's performance;
- Providing constructive feedback to the chief executive;
- Using the performance appraisal activity as an opportunity to help the organization achieve its existing long-range strategic and short-term goals.
Session Goals:
- Share what approaches to performance appraisal are currently in use among the attending organizations and how they are working;
- Explore the bulleted list above to see how one or more of these elements might be of help to the next round of performance appraisals.
Presenter: Ed Tomey has been an organizational & leadership consultant, executive coach, and management educator for nonprofit, for-profit, governmental organizations and universities for more than 45 years. He is Professor Emeritus of Organization & Management at Antioch University, and has consulted to hundreds of nonprofits and for-profits throughout New Hampshire, New England, and nationally. He is author of The Corporate Fund Nonprofit Board Self-Assessment and Partners in Performance: A Collaborative Approach to Nonprofit CEO Development and Appraisal. In 2012, the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits presented Ed with the inaugural Nonprofit Board Excellence Award for his 35 years of service to the State’s nonprofit boards.
There is no fee for this roundtable, however registration is required at this event.