Number 3 in the Series
Too many executives are hired against “turn things around” then judged against whatever the Board is frustrated about that quarter.
Note: This is the third article in a four-part series from TransPro’s executive search practice on what transit Boards should do before they begin a search; the pre-work that separates hires that change an agency’s trajectory from the ones that struggle.
By John Lewis, Principal
The Board has done the hard work and arrived at a real, shared definition of success. Here’s the step almost everyone assumes and almost no one makes explicit: that definition has to become terms with the incoming executive, in writing, before they start.
What are the two or three outcomes this person is accountable for in year one? And, just as important, what resources and authority will the Board actually provide to make those outcomes achievable? What happens when Board priorities shift mid-course, as they inevitably will with elections, funding cycles, and crises?
Too many new transit executives are hired against a general mandate: “turn things around,” “restore confidence,” “modernize the agency”, and then evaluated later against whatever the Board happens to be frustrated about that quarter. The evaluation becomes a moving target.
This goes both ways. The executive is accountable for results, and the Board is just as accountable for telling the executive, clearly, when its expectations change. Boards that hold up their end keep good leaders.
The best Boards define priorities and metrics before the executive walks in, revisit them on a fixed cadence, and treat their own side of the bargain as seriously as the executive’s. It’s a demanding expectation of everyone in the room.
Does your Board know what it’s prepared to put in writing on both sides? TransPro’s approach to Executive Recruitment can guide you through the process. Contact John Lewis at john.lewis@transproconsulting.com to get started.
Media Contact: Natalie Cochran at natalie.cochran@transproconsulting.com
