A Formal Evaluation of the Chairman of the Board

This paper describes a process for the evaluation of the Chairperson by his or her fellow board members. It has been developed in close co‐operation between academics and practitioners and has been successfully tested in different companies. Frequently, there is a fairly high threshold to be overcome before companies agree to such a step. They fear a dismantling of the authority of the Chairman or a “Götterdämmerung” in the board room. These fears are unfounded if the process is handled with care and embedded in a culture of learning; learning even at the level of the board. In such cases, all parties involved (and, in particular, the Chairman) found the process very helpful, and satisfaction was widespread despite considerable initial hesitation and uneasiness.