USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey and Bill Charney, a Colorado-based consultant for USA Swimming, have introduced new metrics and “key items” to measure CEO performance, according to a draft of meeting minutes from the USA Swimming Board of Directors February meeting (pages 70-71 & 64-65). These metrics give insights into where USA Swimming will focus its efforts in the Hinchey era.
The organization’s internal measure for Hinchey’s success as CEO will be judged not all at once but incrementally throughout their term. In May the Board of Directors will give him feedback on what progress USA Swimming has made towards achieving 4 “Ends/Priority Results.” The CEO will also be evaluated on a number of management parameters that have more to do with how they perform as a boss and a face of the organization.
The 4 priority results that USA Swimming must continually strive towards include:
- Competitive success
- National Team athletes are properly funded to be successful in and out of the water;
- USA Swimming is a leader in clean sport.
- Successful athletes, coaches, and clubs
- Athletes, coaches, clubs, and LSCs have all the resources and tools they need to grow and improve.
- Public engagement with swimming
- Growth in the following areas: water safety awareness; all competitive levels, age groups, and demographics; fan engagement.
- Recognition
- USA Swimming will strive to be recognized as the “best in class” NGB by its members because of the value it brings to their lives.
None of the agreed-to metrics mention anything about the SafeSport program or athlete safety.
Furthermore, a spokesperson from USA Swimming said that a few examples of the key items indicative of success would include Team USA competing well at Pan Pacs, successful introduction and implementation of the Flex Membership Program, and elevating the profile of the National Team.
Hinchey’s performance will also be evaluated to determine how well Board policies and goals are being met by one or more of three methods:
- Internal Reports–The CEO themselves will put into writing their policy interpretations and data supporting their “assessment of accomplishment of, or compliance with, the policy under review.”
- External Reports–A third party selected by the Board will assess the CEO’s accomplishments and compliance with Board policies “as reasonably interpreted by the CEO.”
- Direct Board Inspections–Designated Board members or a committee will assess CEO compliance with a policy, “as reasonably interpreted by the CEO.”
The Board is the judge and will determine how “reasonable” the CEO is by using the “reasonable person” test, meaning Hinchey’s actions will be judged to determine “whether what the CEO did was what a reasonably prudent executive would do in that context.”
The CEO is also subject to “a remedial process agreed to by the Board” should they fail to demonstrate reasonable accomplishment in their capacity or a failure to comply with Board policies.
Hinchey was named President and CEO in 2017 and succeeded Mike Unger, who served as Interim Executive Director after former Executive Director Chuck Wielgus died in April of 2017.
Failure to address the looming issue in swimming at the moment – SafeSport. Can you say tone deaf?
Metrics are only implemented in areas where an organization whats visibility.
That’s nice. Can they also measure the performance of other USA swimming executives?
I’m sure they do have internal metrics, but the CEO is the only employee who reports to the Board of Directors – all other employees are staff reports.
If they do they let them get away with a lot of crap