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“How Are We Doing?” Evaluating the Performance of The Chief Administrator

This article is designed to show how to evaluate a chief administrative officer who reports to a governing board, for simplicity called here the “manager.” Ironically, the reasons that a manager may not receive a regular performance evaluation are the very reasons that an evaluation can be helpful:

  • this individual is in a unique position in the
    organization;
  • he or she serves at the pleasure of the board; and
  • he or she may frequently receive conflicting messages about priorities and direction from board
    members.

Conducting an effective evaluation is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be a bad experience for the board or
the manager. With planning and a commitment to open lines of communication, chances are good that the experience will result in a new level of cooperation and understanding between manager and board and, ultimately, a more effective working relationship.

Cite as: 

S. Carlson, Margaret (1994). ” How are we doing?” 1994

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