Andrea McQuitty

"The online tool provides a sport-specific, simple method for evaluating chair performance."

Having a tool that considers the wide range of skills, attributes and responsibilities for the chair of a sporting board makes the evaluation process more meaningful. As someone who is always seeking to improve performance, both personally and for the benefit of the organisation, I was very comfortable with being evaluated by my fellow directors using this tool.

The evaluation revealed two main areas for consideration that had both been mentioned before but were more strongly highlighted through this process. Increasing the amount of board meeting time spent discussing strategic priorities was one of these points. Following nearly two years of online meetings, meetings had become more transactional and lacked more open strategic discussion. This feedback led to our first full face-to-face board meeting being almost entirely devoted to strategic priorities, and the reorganisation of the annual board calendar to ensure sufficient time is scheduled for strategic discussion during all face-to-face meetings, with online meetings covering more straightforward items.

The second point was around confirmation of the process for chair succession planning. Although I had agreed a plan with the board, the evaluation raised my awareness that I needed to be more proactive in empowering them to take the necessary steps. Since the evaluation, I have openly discussed succession planning and delegated parts of the process to others so that the whole board is involved. The process has been agreed 18 months prior to my departure, with the successor now selected and shadowing in the vice-chair role in a manner that should guarantee a smooth transition. From a director's perspective, I think the evaluation tool provided them with an opportunity to note this without feeling that it might be a sensitive topic for me to discuss. Being more aware, I've now been able to reassure the board that I'm more than happy to openly discuss my departure.