Board Coaching to Develop Your Executive Director

Board Coaching to Develop Your Executive Director will allow you as a board to reflect on the organization's relationship with its point person. 

The Executive Director is most often the public face of the organization, so this relationship and their well-being and effectiveness is crucial. 

You've given them authority and a mission to make good decisions in order to achieve the desired outcomes of the organization.

How are you at supporting and developing them further so they can do their job really well and grow even further as a leader? 

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25. The Executive Director is Remunerated Sufficiently Allowing for Financial Stability

This is Practice 25 of 80

Financial stability is important. Assuming your Executive Director is a good money manager, the question remains as to whether they get adequate compensation.

Don’t leave your leader on his or her own to serve the goals of the organization while suffering silently with mounting bills because of inadequate income.

If We Were Coaching Together I Would Ask This

• What are your own attitudes toward the financial stability of your full-time senior staff?

• Where does your Executive Director’s salary stand in relation to similar positions elsewhere?

• Do they receive adequate and fair compensation? Are benefits nonexistent, adequate or generous?

• How many compensation models are you aware of within the same industry category?

• What are the weaknesses of your current approach?

• What are the strengths?

Why This Practice is Important

A lack of resources is extremely stressful. It can often divert emotional energy from carrying out duties at optimum levels.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

STABILITY

The key worker is worth investment.

An Expansive Thought

A financial reserve creates space to keep good leaders longer.

An Action Point

How is meeting the goals of the organization reflected in your Executive Director’s current remuneration package? If questions need to be asked, ask them. If action needs to be taken to make changes, take it.

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26. The Growth and Maturity of the Executive Director is Evident

This is Practice 26 of 80

Growing maturity, particularly spiritually, has a way of showing itself. Does your Executive Director have a good reputation inside and outside the organization? Are they growing personally as well as professionally?

Leadership that is growing will have increasing depth to move the organization ahead.

They will face situations with greater assurance and insight. There will be a greater capacity to reach goals and desired outcomes.

If We Were Coaching Together I Would Ask This

• How well do you feel your Executive Director take care of themselves and provide for times of rest and renewal? How important is this to you? 

• What type of support does your Executive Director need from you, to maintain a healthy and growing personal life?

• Who are you aware of that are personal supporters who understand what your ED is involved in, and support and encourage them in it?

Why This Practice is Important

A man or woman who has a daily, growing personal life will be a more effective leader of people.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

MATURING

A desire to foster the leader's growth is well placed.

An Expansive Thought

No amount of any other skill will compensate for a stagnant leader. It will eventually show itself, weaken the organization and diminish its impact.

An Action Point

Investing in the personal growth of your Executive Director is an investment in the human vitality of your organization.

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27. The Professional Development Budget for the Executive Director is Adequate

This is Practice 27 of 80

There is a lot out there that is of immense value to the Executive Director for growth, both personally and professionally. Engaging in a conversation from time to time will help clarify where their interests and needs lie.

Remember that the challenge is not being able to access new knowledge that would be beneficial. The challenge is to integrate and apply what’s already known to particular circumstances that honor personal values.

That’s where a budget for coaching pays off. Working with a professional Coach will serve leaders well.

If We Were Coaching Together I Would Ask This

• What resources have been allotted for this leader to use in continuing education, and personal and professional growth? How adequate are those resources in aiding the Executive Director's growth? 

• What directives or suggestions does your job description have for them making use of personal and professional growth opportunities?

• How would the leader and the organization benefit if there were a strengthened directive regarding professional development.

Why This Practice is Important

Personal and professional development is vital to the performance and growth of staff and most critically to the leader of the organization. It will have a direct impact on the quality of service being provided. Invest to expect a return.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

DEVELOPMENT

An Expansive Thought

It is best to develop a mixture of training, coaching and event attendance with responsibility for implementation, for top level Staff. A Coach can assist with implementation.

An Action Point

Take a hard look at learning and growing options that might be useful to your Executive Director. Get their input. Implement as far as possible. Coaching for the professional always releases latent skills, vision and leadership.

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28. The Executive Director Has Time for His or Her Personal Life

This is Practice 28 of 80

Being able to say you are busy all the time is not a sign of quality leadership.

The point people for your organization may work themselves into overload.

A well-rounded life will contribute far more to accomplishing goals than will the potentially ineffective work of a leader who has worked far too many hours and doesn’t know how to stop.

If We Were Coaching Together I Would Ask This

• What might you need to pay attention to in your overall budget so that you don’t lose your valued leadership due to burnout?

• How do you detect signs of overload in your leaders? Are any of those signs present? How would you address them?

• What requirement, if any is there for your ED to take real, personal renewal holidays?

• How well does your Executive Director know how to stop?

• Are your ED a workaholic? Does that require your attention?

• What is the difference between enjoying working and being driven to work?

Why This Practice is Important

High integrity leaders tend to give beyond their good sense to rest and renew.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

RENEWAL

Renewal - a refreshed worker is a more effective worker.

An Expansive Thought

Leadership is not measured by hours put in, but by results.

An Action Point

Knowing the work habits of your Executive Director allows you to address issues. Not knowing doesn't.

This is the end of Board Coaching to Develop Your Executive Director.

For a further four insights and actionable items go on to Coaching to Support the Executive Director of a Small Nonprofit.

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Applying Your Learning from Board Coaching to Develop Your Executive Director

How does your organization plan to implement these four points from Board Coaching to Develop Your Executive Director? 

What concrete steps will you take to improve your performance in each of these areas. It may not have to be some huge action, but it must be relevant action. 

If there are problems that have caused you to hesitate or even resist around these four practices, deal with that first. 

If you are a Board Chair and you would like to spend some time getting board coaching to develop your executive director, please don't hesitate to contact me and have a conversation.