Using Advisory Groups M-6

The person who can't take advice doesn't reach old age

Many organizations could benefit from a strong, active advisory committee. Many groups which have advisory committees could benefit more if the advisory committee were better organized, better informed, or better motivated.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This module will help you to:

1. Form (or reorganize) an advisory committee.
2. Evaluate an advisory committee meeting.

BEFORE YOU START RECRUITING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Take a look at your organization's mission statement (module E-13) and philosophy (E-14). These two documents tell your purpose, how you are organized, how you operate, and what you offer. If you do not have a clear mission statement or organizational philosophy, you should consider writing them as an activity of your organization. They will help you to form the committee and to recruit specific committee members.

Next make a list of your organization's stakeholder groups. Stakeholders are groups or categories of individuals who are affected by your organization's success or failure. List groups and organizations who are involved in programs of your organization that are currently important and likely to continue. List groups which might be important resources to new programs that are proposed for your organization. Consider the geographic region that your organization serves. Should you have representation on your advisory committee from each distinct part of that region? Consider client groups (and potential new clients), gender, ethnic groups, age categories, socio-economic categories, and any other category or group that should be represented on your advisory committee. Make a list of these groups in a column on the left third of a sheet of paper. It might look something like this for a youth soccer program:

Take plenty of time to make certain the list is complete. Then begin writing names in the middle third of your sheet of paper. You will find that some names will fit in more than one category. Draw a line from the name to each of the categories that it fits. More lines (categories) to a particular name may mean that this is a stronger candidate for the committee. You should be able to pick your top candidate from the list at this point. Now avoid a common mistake in forming advisory committees. Avoid the temptation to choose six more people who look just like your top candidate (why have six people if they are alike). On the contrary, look for contrasts and complements in your second candidate, then the third, etc. The idea is to end up with a committee (five or seven is a good number) that cover all (or most) of the categories yet can work together.

Now you are ready to recruit. Refer to module V-3. There you will find instructions that use the other third of the worksheet you have started above.

THE FIRST MEETING

Carefully consider the agenda for the first meeting after forming the advisory committee. You will want to be certain that all members know each other and why each was appointed to the committee. They need to know the purpose of the advisory committee and any limitations on its power. They need to know how it fits in your overall organization. Make certain that each member has an opportunity to express any concerns or ideas that have been brought to the meeting (sometimes friends and associates have requested that a specific matter be discussed). A job description for committee members may be developed at this point (if you did not already use one in the recruitment). If you are developing a job description for the first time, refer to module V-2. You may also want to introduce some ground rules for advisory committee meetings (see module L-3). Most of advisory committee work is done in meetings so the following checklist (in addition to the one in module L-3) may be helpful.

ADVISORY GROUP MEETING CHECKLIST

The following items should be used to evaluate how the leader and participants perform in an advisory committee meeting.

___ 1. Was preparation for the meeting adequate?

Members had necessary preliminary information?

The meeting room and visual aids were ready?

The meeting started and stopped on time?

___ 2. Was the purpose of the meeting clear to all?

Meeting objectives were clearly specified?

The leader introduced the agenda clearly and concisely?

___ 3. Was a free and open climate established for the meeting?

Tension was dissipated?

All members participated?

___ 4. Was nonverbal communication in tune with the meeting purposes?

___ 5. Did the meeting stay on the agenda?

The group had enough freedom to work?

The leader exercised an appropriate amount of control?

The participants kept their contributions concise and pertinent?

___ 6. Did the meeting come to sound conclusions?

The leader helped the group to reach consensus?

___ 7. Did the leader handle difficult situations well?

The talkative member?

The quiet member?

Conflicts?

___ 8. Were plans made to follow up and tie loose ends together either by another meeting, sub-committee meetings, or memoranda?

___ 9. Does each member seem to be comfortable in the group and contributing positively?