Keeping on Task with a Task Force
A Task Force? An Advisory Board? What a great idea! There’s so much to gain.
They can be an experienced sounding board; help you to align with individuals who carry name cachet; provide ideas and input with that important “outside” perspective; support fundraising initiatives; and broaden your reach within relevant circles. They bring a wealth of valuable information, connections and solutions-oriented strategic guidance to advance an organization’s mission. You’d be crazy not to have one right?
But the reasons for not having such a high-powered group aren’t as obvious as the reason for having one. Proceed with caution and understanding. A Task Force doesn’t run itself. It’s a task-and-a-half to manage.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Remember:
Executives who participate on a task force or advisory board are likely to:
• sincerely care about the organization’s mission — why else volunteer so much time and energy;
• seek relevance for the board’s work with their own work;
• have connections they are willing to tap into — especially when such opportunities allow them to;
• demonstrate their guidance is being sought out by a national board;
• have a WIFFM (“what’s in it for me”) mindset, and a strong desire to share their opinions; and,
• be extremely busy, overscheduled, in-demand blackberry users.
Additionally:
• Be sure to always demonstrate relevance between board tasks and the board members’ world — how might the outcomes benefit them in their everyday jobs and lives?
• For ultimate buy-in, allow board members to help shape the board’s agenda and goals.
• Whenever possible, create avenues for soliciting board members’ opinions and input — and always invite feedback after meetings.
• When meeting, ensure the moderator is adept at managing time and conversations to ensure all voices are heard.
• It is a good practice to assign pre-meeting activities that will help frame members’ thinking around the topics and issues to be discussed during meetings.
• For full-day meetings, build time into the agenda for brief blackberry/phone breaks – better to have several short breaks, vs. one long break where members may get pulled too deeply into that day’s crisis back in the office.
So when the rewards of having a Task Force or Advisory Board start to become apparent, make sure you first put a plan in place for effective outreach, oversight, and ongoing management. Executives, who have agreed to take part expect and want to hear from you. They want to provide input. They want to lend a hand. So make sure you don’t underestimate the task at hand — to make it all work!
