Building an Effective Advisory Council

1. Building an Effective Advisory Council Nontraditional Employment & Training Program Center for Women in Government & Civil Society University at Albany State University of New York

2. Purpose of an Advisory Council • An extremely valuable resource and asset to your organization, if well-constructed and well-managed. • Purposeis to advise on: • Program mission, vision and values; • Strategic direction; • Evaluation of progress; • Fiscal management and growth; Advisory Councils are NOT Nonprofit Board of Directors: • Fiscal oversight • Fiduciary and legal responsibilities • Governance power over hiring and firing of Directors

3. Benefits of an Advisory Council • Provide guidance on strategic and day-to-day problems • Provide vehicle for informed decision making • Extend depth and breadth of your reach in the community and your networks • Facilitate referrals, alliances and partnerships with community • Provide hands-on-support for busy staff • Provide expertise and links to donors and supporters • Provide critical expertise that can supplement your institution’s knowledge.

4. Step 1: Establish Bylaws • The Bylaws: Guiding Document that defines governing norms, codes of conduct and ground rules. • Components: • Qualifications and background of members, policy on composition, demographics, diversity, etc. • How members will be identified, recruited and selected/elected • Maximum and minimum numbers of members • Length of service, renewal and maximum terms • No fiduciary or legal responsibility, advisory status, no governing power and voluntary service • Mandatory meetings and functions • Specific role and expectations • what happens when a member resigns, is removed or unavailable • What happens when a member fails to attend meetings • What information will be communicated, when and how • Quorum and voting rights • Officers • Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees

5. Step 2: Recruit Members • Form a nominating Committee from people in your networks who represent different stakeholders • Have members of the nominating committee complete a worksheet identifying 10 candidates for the Council and the rationale for nominating them. • Nominators reach out to candidates they nominate to solicit initial interest in serving. • Hold a meeting to prioritize a list of finalists. • Send a formal invitation to serve. • Invitation letter should state clearly role and expectations as well as time commitment expressed in annual hours expected to be dedicated to their Advisory Council position.

6. Step 3: Hold Members’ Orientation Meeting • Get acquainted and break the ice • Communicate vision and mission with passion and conviction • Review Bylaws and engage members’ immediately in refining and finalizing the Bylaws • Provide a thorough orientation to the program (long term goals and objectives, current activities, successes and challenges, students you serve, partnerships you have and wish to have). • Clarify decision-making; areas where there are shared authority and others where final decisions rest with the institution. • Identify areas where the group’s support is needed immediately. • Discuss Standing and Ad hoc committees that need to be established Ask members to serve on at least one of these committees. Choose co-chairs for each committee.

7. Step 4: Activate Your Advisory Council Make sure you have a solid internal infrastructure: • Common sets of procedures • Rules of confidentiality • Avirtual workplace • Work cycle management and progress communication • Council development meetings/social events for personal glue and cohesion. • Role clarification and expectation communication • Follow pre and post meeting best practices including; agenda development in advance with time allocation for each discussion/agenda item and distribution of post meeting minutes documenting decisions and action items/team members’ assignment list.

8. Step 5: Maintain, Sustain & Energize • Trust Building through team building • Team Identification • Interdependence of Tasks • Promote understanding of diversity on the Council. A Roster of expertise or skills inventory cultivates competency based trust. • Use information and communication technologies to keep members engaged and connections alive in between meetings. • Institute reward systems, verbal recognition, exposure internally and externally to stakeholders, Visibility. • Intellectual growth through lectures, training opportunities that would enhance their skills and benefit their career development. • Conflict Management

9. Characteristics of Successful Advisory Councils • Flexibility in their own ideas • Openness to new ideas • Listening to others • Trusting of Others • Expression and discussion of differences – Avoid group think • Contribution-making • Concern for Others • Commitment to tasks • Helping of one another to get the job done • Leadership sharing • Encouragement of participation • Prioritization of collective interests over individual interests • A sense that we are all in this together!

10. Leaders are Key Leaders can shape the quality of communication. Leaders: • Set the tone, model acceptable norms of behavior; • Motivate, coordinate and articulate vision; • Shape identity, culture and dynamics; • Facilitate constructive conflicts; • Leverage diversity through debates; • Coordinate tasks and leverage interdependence; • Use power and authority sharing to build team spirit; and • Use a range of reward systems to inspire commitment.

11. Final Words Effective Advisory Councils Need: • Sense of Purpose • Doable Tasks and measurable objectives • Timeline • Praise, reward and recognition, sense that input is valued • Regular guidance to make sure they stay on course • Identification with your institution and personal glue with members of the Council