Should the CHRO Become Part of a Chair-CEO-CHRO SuperTrio? | People Matters

The role of the CHRO, in many leading organizations, continues to be elevated, particularly in light of COVID-19. Increasingly, CHROs are called upon by their CEOs to offer guidance on a range of critical people-centered challenges faced by the business. Further, for a CHRO to make an impact, it requires a productive working relationship with the CEO and an organization’s Board of Directors and Chair. This article explores the relationships and interactions across three stakeholders: Chair-CEO-CHRO. Although this trio (sometimes duo) operates in varying workplace contexts that can largely determine how they work, this article provides some “core, foundational actions, and behaviors that can be usefully deployed by the trio, whatever the organizational context and personalities involved.“ It offers three types of scenarios in which this group interacts: 1) The Chair and CEO have a cordial and friendly relationship, but neither is close to the CHRO. 2) The Chair and CHRO have a good working relationship, and the CEO is more distant from them both. 3) A healthy and constructive relationship is enjoyed by the Chair, the CEO, and the CHRO. For each scenario, a summary is provided on the risks of inaction and opportunities for growth and strengthening of these relationships.