Startup Boards, 2nd Edition

Chapter 19Managing Ongoing Communication

Board members have specific expectations around communication from the CEO. A VC board member will likely serve on multiple boards and sees all kinds of board meetings and communication. In contrast, you may not have similar experiences and often learn to manage board expectations in real time. Ultimately, it's your responsibility to manage expectations around communication to the board.

What the Board Expects from a CEO

You run the show. If you take responsibility for your decisions, your board will respect you, even if your decisions turn out to be wrong. When you and the board agree to certain action items, you ultimately have to live with the consequences of the decisions. Weak CEOs hide behind their board, saying, “The board decided we should do Y.” By doing this, you abdicate your responsibility and set up a negative dynamic between the board and your management team.

Good boards don't say, “We want the company to do thing X.” Rather, they participate in a discussion about the topic and, with you, reach a consensus. In any robust board discussion, participants may disagree, and you may not know what to do. Ultimately, a good board comes to a decision and moves on.¹ If you disagree with the board on a decision, make sure you present your case well. But once the board decides, it's yours to execute.

The only actual operating decision that a board ever makes is to fire the CEO. Sure, the board and individual board members are often ...