ACROSS THE BOARD

BOARDMANSHIP... Creating a Leadership Team: Defining Responsibilities of the Board and Chief Executive By Dr. Ted Flickinger, Ph.D. IAPD Executive Director and Managing Editor

There are many gray areas between where authority begins and ends for the chief executive and the Board. Who sets the agenda for the monthly meetings? Who is responsible for purchasing a new computer or telephone system? Who determines salaries? Who selects the firm that will audit the agency? Who establishes the annual goals for the agency? Who appoints members to an advisory committee or task force? Who establishes fees for programs? Who invests surplus monies? Who decides cutback of services to stay within the budget? Who gives recognition awards to outstanding staff? Who awards contracts to vendors? Who seeks bids for projects? Who hires legal counsel for the agency? All these and other concerns need to be defined.

The chief executive and board need to develop a specific list of responsibilities and review them regularly. They should consider the difference between policy making and policy implementation. The board handles the "what," and the chief executive handles the "how." In some instances where lines cannot be clearly defined Joint decisions are required. Of the joint responsibilities, probably none are as important as policy formulation and planning. However, policy determination is the responsibility of the board alone. The table below lists some of the responsibilities and roles of the chief executive and the park board.

Making the Partnership Work

Good communication between the board and the chief executive must not be assumed. Both must work at it. The confidence and trust board members have in a chief executive are closely related to how well the chief executive communicates with them. The flip-side of the coin is essential, as well. Board members must exchange information with the chief executive.

What information about agency operations should the chief executive give to members of the board? Whatever they want and need to fulfill their responsibilities. The chief executive's relationship with board members is often measured by how well the board was informed. The chief executive, by keeping the board informed, retains their trust.

It is certainly the responsibility of the chief executive to keep the board well informed of the operations of the agency—but not all the minute details. The chief executive who asks for advice on every problem is really giving the responsibility of managing the agency to the board members.

ACROSS THE BOARD

The chief executive must remember that board members change and priorities change. What the board wanted three years ago, they might not want today. It is the job of the chief executive to get to know the board members, their thinking, their philosophy and what they feel is important. The best chief executives are those who constantly stay on top of their boards' priorities. What direction do they want the agency to go? The chief executive should help the board focus on planning. When board members plan for the future of the agency, they are also planning the chief executive's work.