????微軟公司（Microsoft）首席執(zhí)行官史蒂夫?鮑爾默快要離職了，不過(guò)董事會(huì)卻迄今還沒找到接班人。對(duì)于一個(gè)棒球隊(duì)來(lái)說(shuō)，任何時(shí)候都必須有替補(bǔ)投手，但是在商業(yè)世界里，微軟有著不少難兄難弟。大批公司的董事會(huì)都沒有選定非緊急情況下的首席執(zhí)行官接班人。

????11月19日，在華盛頓貝爾維尤舉辦的微軟年度大會(huì)上，股東將有機(jī)會(huì)向董事會(huì)了解其首席執(zhí)行官的繼任安排。他們應(yīng)該問(wèn)的問(wèn)題如下。

????在挑選董事會(huì)接班人的問(wèn)題上，你們花了多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間？

????惠普公司（HP）董事會(huì)成員因?yàn)樵跁?huì)議室里老是爭(zhēng)執(zhí)不休而精疲力竭，結(jié)果他們?cè)谄赣檬紫瘓?zhí)行官李艾科之前居然都從來(lái)沒跟他碰過(guò)頭。所有董事會(huì)都需要新鮮血液，需要那些有時(shí)間精力，也有專業(yè)能力挑出最佳首席執(zhí)行官的成員。而對(duì)科技公司來(lái)說(shuō)，由于它們身處商業(yè)模式瞬息萬(wàn)變的科技業(yè)，董事會(huì)換血重組尤其需要精心策劃。

????微軟的董事會(huì)確實(shí)需要重組了。大衛(wèi)?馬夸特已經(jīng)在任超過(guò)30年，公司創(chuàng)始人、前首席執(zhí)行官以及現(xiàn)任主席比爾?蓋茨也是如此。鮑爾默、赫爾穆特?龐克和查爾斯?諾斯基也已在任10年有余。鑒于現(xiàn)有的五位董事都應(yīng)該準(zhǔn)備好自己的退路了，股東們應(yīng)該問(wèn)問(wèn)約翰?湯普森這位2012年的新加入董事和提名委員會(huì)主席，除了一位已宣布將于明年加入的新董事之外，他要讓董事會(huì)實(shí)現(xiàn)現(xiàn)代化的時(shí)間表在哪里。

????等到新首席執(zhí)行官上任再啟動(dòng)董事會(huì)重組并不合適。偉大的網(wǎng)球選手都想和旗鼓相當(dāng)?shù)膶?duì)手競(jìng)賽——而卓越的首席執(zhí)行官（能力很強(qiáng)卻又十分低調(diào)）想要的也是一個(gè)出色的董事會(huì)。再說(shuō)本來(lái)就應(yīng)該是董事會(huì)選拔首席執(zhí)行官，而不是反過(guò)來(lái)。

????盡管這兩年有新董事加入，但微軟董事會(huì)需要的是更健康的人員周轉(zhuǎn)率。在替換現(xiàn)有的五位長(zhǎng)期董事的過(guò)程中，他們應(yīng)該考慮采用世通公司（WorldCom）在危機(jī)后實(shí)行的原則：每年替換一名董事。

????你們反思過(guò)自己的首席執(zhí)行官繼任流程嗎？

????微軟的管理方針是“董事會(huì)與首席執(zhí)行官協(xié)作，共同規(guī)劃首席執(zhí)行官的繼任事宜”，這實(shí)在是夸夸其談，簡(jiǎn)直就像是說(shuō)民主黨和茶黨通力合作提高聯(lián)邦所得稅并重啟重大社會(huì)項(xiàng)目一樣。理論上聽起來(lái)很不錯(cuò)，但有多大可能付諸實(shí)踐呢？確實(shí)，一旦新首席執(zhí)行官上任，董事會(huì)是可以尋求與其合作，但這就像是毫無(wú)道理地讓一個(gè)急性子來(lái)承擔(dān)一樁需要長(zhǎng)期深思熟慮的重大任務(wù)一樣不靠譜。

????我和首席執(zhí)行官顧問(wèn)兼作者蘭姆?查蘭的想法不一樣，不認(rèn)為董事會(huì)非要等到新任首席執(zhí)行官上任六個(gè)月后才開啟這一進(jìn)程。首席執(zhí)行官的任期和精心設(shè)計(jì)的繼任流程毫無(wú)關(guān)系。選拔首席執(zhí)行官這一任務(wù)真正要緊的是，找到那位能在任何時(shí)候都游刃有余、化解企業(yè)所面臨的各種挑戰(zhàn)的杰出人才，并三顧茅廬。哪怕首席執(zhí)行官到任一天后就開始這一進(jìn)程也不嫌為時(shí)過(guò)早。股東應(yīng)該就當(dāng)前所用及正在執(zhí)行的繼任流程深入詢問(wèn)董事會(huì)。

????你們已決定由誰(shuí)出任獨(dú)立主席了嗎？

????作為首席執(zhí)行官繼任流程的一部分，董事會(huì)應(yīng)該制定一名獨(dú)立董事出任主席職位并領(lǐng)導(dǎo)聘用首席執(zhí)行官后的董事會(huì)。微軟董事會(huì)可以在這個(gè)位置上啟用一位新面孔，而首席執(zhí)行官需要知道誰(shuí)將出任這一角色，因?yàn)檫@兩個(gè)人今后必須建立良好的工作關(guān)系。

????這也同時(shí)為聘用過(guò)程定了基調(diào)，并可避免摩根大通公司（J.P. Morgan）由于股東人數(shù)不斷增加帶來(lái)的問(wèn)題。他們很想給杰米?戴蒙的老板打電話抱怨他的表現(xiàn)——只不過(guò)作為董事會(huì)主席，戴蒙就是他自己的老板。股東們需要問(wèn)問(wèn)湯普森誰(shuí)會(huì)出任獨(dú)立主席，還有董事會(huì)會(huì)如何選擇人選。

????Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer will be stepping down, and the board does not have a replacement. Although a baseball team would never think of operating without relief pitchers, Microsoft has plenty of company in the business world. Many boards have not selected non-emergency CEO replacements.

????On Nov. 19, at the tech giant's annual meeting in Bellevue, Wash., shareholders will have a chance to ask the board about its CEO succession process. Here's what they should ask.

????How far along are you in sorting out who should be on the board?

????HP (HPQ) board members were so worn out from boardroom squabbling that they never even met CEO Leo Apotheker before they hired him. All boards need to keep their membership refreshed with people who have the time, energy, and expertise to pick the best top manager. Companies in industries like technology, which goes through rapidly changing business models, require especially intentional board updates.

????Microsoft's board could use a reboot. David Marquardt has been on the board for over 30 years, as has Bill Gates, the company's founder, former CEO, and current chair. Ballmer, Helmut Panke, and Charles Noski have been on the board 10 years or more. With five members that ought to have their eyes on the exits, shareholders should ask John Thompson, a 2012 board hire and the nominating committee chair, what his timetable for modernizing the board is, beyond the one new hire that has been announced for next year.

????It's not okay to kick the board renovation down the road until after a new CEO is hired. Great tennis players want to play with great competitors -- and strong CEOs (high ability, low ego) want strong boards. Plus the board should select the CEO, not the other way around.

????Despite a few recent additions, the Microsoft board needs a healthier level of ongoing turnover. As they replace the five with long tenures, they should consider the guideline WorldCom had to adopt after its crisis: One person leaves per year.

????Have you been rethinking your CEO succession process?

????Microsoft's governance guideline that "The board works with the CEO to plan for CEO succession" is about as aspirational as saying the Democrats work with the Tea Party to raise federal income taxes and restore vital social programs. Sounds great in theory, but how likely is it? Sure, once the CEO is on the way out, a board may gain her cooperation, but that's putting a short fuse for no good reason on what deserves a longer-term, more thoughtful approach.

????Unlike CEO advisor and author Ram Charan, I don't think boards need to wait to begin the process until six months after the new CEO is in place. A CEO's tenure is completely irrelevant to a well-designed succession process. What matters in CEO succession is identifying and revisiting who can best address the challenges of the business at any point in time. A day after the CEO is in place is not a moment too soon. Shareholders should ask the board about its current and ongoing approach.

????Have you decided who will be independent chair?

????As part of the CEO succession process, the board should designate which independent director will be chair and lead the board post-hire. Microsoft's board could use a fresh face in that spot, and CEO candidates need to know who that will be, as the two individuals will need to have a good working relationship.

????It also sets the tone in the hiring process and avoids the problem cited by growing numbers of shareholders at J.P. Morgan (JPM). They'd like to call Jamie Dimon's boss to complain about his performance – except, as board chair, Dimon is his own boss. Shareholders need to ask Thompson who will be the independent chair and how the board will choose her.