Hi William,

I remember somebody else asking for this in the summer. I don't know for sure how to point you to that thread but I found it by clicking on the Search in the top menu bar and entering CEO Evaluation in the search. There is your thread and a second one there. I know there was some discussion there that you might enjoy reading, in addition to the new input.

Lisa

William,

Two more observations.

First, as Bruce points out, what a Board wants in a CEO is highly subjective. But further, at different stages of a software company's life, it takes different skills to make it a success at that stage. The book I recommended focuses the qualities of a CEO of a start-up, which what I assume you are. The key in the beginning is that the CEO is very hands-on. It is his vision and his ability to execute on that vision that matter. But as a company grows larger this very style which makes a start-up successful is a detriment.

For example, I am dealing with a $30 million software company of about 200 people. The founder is exiting and a new CEO is taking over. The founder is intimate with the market and products and is like a captain of a ship giving orders to others. The new CEO is someone who acts as a conductor, fully delegating authority and responsibility, but he is no longer hands-on in the same way. This is a classic transition as a software company grows. And it continues as a company grews even larger. A CEO may be very good at taking a company to $100 million but not very good at making it a much bigger company.

So, besides the motivation of the Board who because of their financial involvement may desire certain ends--exit in three years, for example--there is also the notion that what makes a good CEO will change as the company grows.

Second, I may be totally off-base here--your board may have asked you to develop a CEO performance evaluation form--but I wonder why you need such a formal means of dealing with your board about your performance. If your board members are the type who mentor CEOs they should be giving advice and counsel all along. They wouldn't need a formal form to fill out to discuss your performance.

So I wonder if there is some other problem you are trying to solve by creating a performance evaluation. If you do have some questions about whether they think you are doing a good job, why not speak one-on-one in a private setting and ask the question directly. The performance evaluation form may too indirect route to your goal.

Good luck

Brian