Board Effectiveness
Healthcare Board Chairs are successful individuals with a passion for volunteerism, which is inherent in the role. Generally, they are individuals who have achieved success in their business or professional life and have become devoted to the organization they serve. In certain cases, their professional and business success has prepared them explicitly for their chair responsibilities inside the boardroom.
However, it is also possible that despite their individual success, they find themselves in new situations as Board chairs in a complex health system where fundamental processes and practices within this sector can be challenging to understand and navigate.
Chairing meetings and understanding governance practices is sometimes the easiest part. The more difficult component may well be understanding who does what between the Chair and the CEO and how to work through specific situations and challenges. Maximizing productivity with another strong individual requires excellent relationship skills.
Healthcare CEOs operate in a dynamic environment which challenges common sense and business and governance practices. As CEO, they have achieved success and demonstrated a pattern of performance in leading organizations. In certain cases, they have a deep professional understanding that helps them understand healthcare but does not prepare them to report to or understand the roles of CEOs and Boards.
They can and do learn on the job and best leaders should build strong and enduring relationships in and out of the boardroom. Understanding their boundaries when it comes to the Board is not a skill that is easily acquired and exercised.
Both parties in this dynamic are successful and driven. Removing impediments to unlock the potential in the relationship is something that Lozon Associates is uniquely qualified to deliver. Because both individuals are strong, it takes time to unlock the real potential in a great relationship.