Peer Advisory Board: Assigning Roles Part 5

To recap over the past few months we have been talking about how to assemble a Peer Advisory Board.  We discussed choosing the members, commitment, the importance of a pre-set agenda, and discussion protocol.  This post will discuss the different roles that are important to your board.

Every board is started by someone.  This person took the initiative to put the group together.  Although, possible for the individual to continue to take responsibility for the group, it isn’t beneficial to the leader or the group.

The board benefits all participants, therefore all participants should take responsibility for some part of the work.

When one person is doing all the work, they can start to feel underappreciated.  The group may become less committed or interested in it’s success, not to mention the load of the responsibilites are much easier to bear when everyone helps.

Below is a breakdown of the roles we have found work.

Facilitator:

      1.  Facilitate the meeting

                   A. Meeting Opener

                   B. Keep conversation on track

                  C. Keep all members participating

                  D. Make sure all members have the opportunity to present

                  E. Talk to members who resist presenting or causing disturbances

                  F. Create comfortable environment for all

                                    a. Member attitude

                                    b. Member participation

2.  Meeting location

3. Meeting Schedule

4. Check in with Presenter

5.  Prepare meeting agenda

6.  Bring Charter and signed confidentialty agreements to the meetings

Facilitator Elect:  takes on the role of facilitator at the meeting when the current facilitator is presenting.

Presenter: (All members)Prior to the meeting: Prepare their topic to discuss with the group. Meet with their buddy/coach, by phone or in person.

Buddy/Coach: (All Members) Meet with presenter before meeting.  The role of the buddy is NOT to offer any advice to the presenter during the preparation meeting.  Help them prepare for the discussion and clarify their issue.

Time Keeper:  Give warnings as time elapses and notices when time is up.  Keep meeting running on schedule.

Discussion Protocol Observer: Give notice and assistance when the discussion protocol is violated.

Secretary:  Take notes on any changes to the schedule, charter, agenda, location, etc…  Please note, confidential conversation should not be documented, published or distributed due to risk of confidentiality breach.

Treasurer:  Collect monies from the group.  Money may be collected for expenses, dues, charter breaches, ect…

The presenter and coach are ongoing roles for all members.  The other roles should be assigned term limits and rotated evenly.

Next time we will discuss confidentiality.

The Entreprneur Circle Introductory Session

No one can master all of the issues demanding attention from a business owner today. There are just too many issues and they change too fast for one person to stay current:   marketing, employment issues, IT issues, changes in competition, and sales, just to name a few.

Where are you currently getting your ideas and solutions?

Who do you talk to when you have to make an important decision? Who helps you through your difficult challenges?

Peer Advisory Boards are a carefully selected group of people that will provide for you:

 - Accountability

- Brainstorm ideas ·

- Introduce new concepts

- Work through business challenges in a secure confidential environment

The Entrepreneur Circle will host an introductory session to answer your questions regarding participation on our Peer Advisory Boards and how they may help you grow your business.

Event Details:

 When:  Friday 12/18/09

Where:  500 Winding Brook Drive 2^nd Floor, Glastonbury, CT 06033

Time:  8:00 – 9:30 AM

 For more information on The Entrepreneur Circle please visit us at www.TheEcircle.com or Check out our Video Brochure

“The Entrepreneur Circle has provided an environment that allows me to continually think outside the box and then pursue those thoughts and goals with mutual support and accountability. We drastically improved our marketing programs and substantially grew our firm in our first year as E-Circle members. I strongly encourage any business person to make this commitment a priority item in their business plan.”  Bill McCloskey Founder of Stateline Senior Services

 

Peer Advisory Boards: Discussion Protocol Part 4

In order for your Peer Advisory Board to be effective, 3 very important things need to occur:

1. Communication
2. Listening
3. Action

This becomes a delicate balancing act.  In order for true change to occur all three must take place. 

 com·mu·ni·ca·tion (k -my n -k sh n)

n. 1. The act of communicating; transmission.  2. a. The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior .b. Interpersonal rapport.

lis·ten (l s n) intr.v.

1. To make an effort to hear something    2. To pay attention; heed

ac·tion ( k sh n) 

1.  The state or process of acting or doing  2.  Something done or accomplished; a deed.  3.  Organized activity to accomplish an objective  4. The causation of change by the exertion of power or a natural process

Communication is relevant for both the individual presenting his/her situation and the board members contributing to him/her. 

The Presenter

The Presenter should be clear on his or her objectives and outcome.  They should come to the meeting prepared to state his/her challenge or opportunity.  We recommend that the presenter write out their situation, then meet with someone from their board (buddy) to help them clarify the issue at hand.  Preparation in advance allows the most success for the presenter.  Once the presenter has presented their issue, their job is to listen, create an action plan, and take action.  Without action, the presenter will not be able to affect change, and attain results.

The Group

It is essential that the group come prepared to help the presenter create an action plan.  They should also come with the understanding that the presenter is the focal point of the discussion and may start to feel overwhelmed, defensive, or uncomfortable if they are given too much information or advice.  We find the best results occur when the board communicates through sharing experiences, and asking questions.  It is also important for the board members to intently listen to the presenter through their verbal and non-verbal clues.   It is the job of the Board participants to support and help the presenter feel secure enough to present their situation.  The group is not there to judge the presenter or “fix” the problem.  They are there to listen and provide useful information so that he/she may form their own plan of action on their terms.  We have been given advice and told what to do our whole lives, we have a book shelf full of books, and have had encountered many folks that are more than willing to tell us how we should do something.  In my experience the true change comes from the personal decision to take the action, the best action plan is the plan created by the individual.  Therefore it is the responsibility of the board to help the presenter create his/her own action plan, and hold them accountable to take the necessary steps.

All parties come to the table with the intention to help one another grow, change and see their business in a different way.  This can and does occur when the parties involved come to the table ready to communicate, listen, and take action.

Next time we will discuss the importance of assigning roles.

Previous entries

Choosing the members of your Board

Commitment

Organization

Peer Advisory Boards: Pre-Set Agenda Part 3

We have been providing the step by step guide to creating your own peer advisory board.  This post is dedicated to the importance of a pre-set agenda.  The last post was dedicated to commitment

Important meetings have an agenda.  Your Peer Advisory Board meeting is an important meeting.  The Agenda is the guide to how the time will be spent at the meeting.  Going into the meeting without one may lead to time spent unproductively.

There is a fine line between the Peer Advisory Board and a Coffee Klatch.

Coffee Klatches have their place in the world; they are usually social in nature, a place where there isn’t a pre-set defined result in mind.  Peer Advisory Boards are all about results.

Having a pre-set agenda gives the members boundaries: A start time, end time, and in between time.

As a busy business owner it would become frustrating to rush to a meeting that frequently starts late, ends late, or doesn’t accomplish the intended goal.  Time is not a commodity and should not be wasted.  The time the business owner sets aside to attend a meeting must accomplish something.  Therefore, assign and stick to the meeting schedule.  Don’t over plan or under plan the meeting. 

Time limits in the agenda will force the group to concentrate on the task at hand and not stray in the conversation.  Assign the role of timer to someone in the group.

Be respectful of your time and the time of your board mates.  Having a pre-set agenda at your meeting will keep the group healthy and together.  Groups that are disorganized will eventually fall apart.

Next time we will discuss Discussion Protocol

Great video on Peer Advisory Boards

Peer Advisory Boards: Commitment Part 2

We have been providing the step by step guide to creating your own peer advisory board.  This post is dedicated to commitment.  The last post was dedicated to choosing the members of your board

To recap, a Peer Advisory Board is a team of carefully selected team of like-minded peers that will provide for you:

• Accountability
• Brainstorm ideas, introduce new concepts
• Guidance
• Work through business challenges

A team is a group of people that work together to accomplish something.  What would a baseball team be without someone at first base?  How could a football team function without it’s quarterback? 

The Peer Advisory Board is no different.  Without all members present, the group cannot accomplish it’s mission.  All members are critical to the success of the meeting.  The group was deliberately chosen to provide insight, experience, and wisdom to each other. Without them, everyone will miss out, including the member not present.  Each member has a role to play at the meeting.  The presenter (individual with the challenge) is looking to the group to provide information to help them create a solution. Without their team, they won’t have the benefit of collaboration.  The other members of the group also benefit from the presenter and feedback shared at the meeting.  If anyone isn’t present, that person’s contribution is missed. 

How do you create a committed team?

There are 2 ways:

First, upon conception of the group,  each person you choose must understand what they are committing to and the value of participation.  Some red flags would be someone who tells you that they can’t  predict their schedule and they will do the best they can.  Or, “I’ll be there unless I have a chance to meet with a prospect.”  These are not qualified board members.   Every member needs to be at every meeting.  Reschedule when a conflict arises, rather than conduct the meeting without them.

Second, fulfill on the value of the group.  Stick to the agenda. Begin and end on time. Keep conversations on track. Assign responsibilities to other members in the group and make sure members come to the meeting prepared. 

A committed group will thrive and grow together.  When commitment isn’t present, the group will eventually lose interest and cease to exist.

Next time we will discuss the importance of the pre-set schedule.

Check out our video brochure

Assembling your own Peer Advisory Board

 Peer Advisory Boards seem to be one of those concepts that people either fully understand  or don’t.  In our travels we rarely see something in the middle. 

We feel very strongly about the power of the Peer Advisory Board, and would like to encourage all business owners to create the time in their schedule to participate in one.  Please understand we aren’t necessarily asking you to join one of ours, we are just recommending that you become part of a group.  You could look to a business that provides this service, or you may want to just go ahead and form your own group.  For the purpose of this post we are going to explain how to do it yourself.

Initially, you may want to form your own board.  A problem we have seen, though, is that many times these types of boards aren’t sustainable.  When a board does not have the proper components, they seem to fade away.  Therefore, we wanted to share, over the coming weeks, the components of a successful board and details around each of these components.

  First of all, you need to consider exactly what a peer advisory board is. 

Our definition:  A carefully selected team of like-minded peers that will provide for you…

• Accountablity
• New ideas and concepts
• Guidance
• Solutions to business challenges

If you want the best results, you want the best people possible on your board.  So, the first component is to be VERY selective about who you invite to sit on your board.  We will get into more detail about this in a later post.  The other components we will discuss over the coming weeks are…

• Keeping the board committed
• Pre-Set Schedule
• Agenda
• Assigned roles
• Discussion protocol
• Confidentiality agreements
• Charter/Operating agreement

Over the next several weeks, we will dissect each of these individual components and their importance.

Glastonbury Chamber Announces Strategic Alliance with The Entrepreneur Circle

The Glastonbury Chamber is pleased to announce a strategic alliance with The Entrepreneur Circle.  The Entrepreneur Circle runs peer advisory boards (Roundtables) for business owners.  Roundtables are small groups of business owners that meet to discuss mutual issues and concerns they face in the running of their businesses.  The business owner gets an opportunity to share in the cumulative wisdom and experience regarding the true nature of owning and operating a business.  The Roundtables convene under the guidance of a trained facilitator and follow a defined process that is designed to produce measurable value for the participants.

Fast Company Magazine recently discussed a poll of business owners that participate on peer advisory boards.  64% reported an increase in bottom line profitability.  56% reported an increase in top line sales.  And 60% reported an increase in productivity.  The Roundtables help the business owner enlarge the view of their business, improve their mission and strategy, and discover new ideas they haven’t considered before.

“Having participated in several peer discussion groups, I have found The Entrepreneur Circle’s structured format to be one of the best places to discuss business issues.  My participation in the group has had a measurable impact on the continued success of our organization”.

David Wood President Gateway Financial Group, Inc. (Glastonbury Chamber Member)

The Entrepreneur Circle is offering a 20% discount on annual dues to Glastonbury Chamber members.  For eligibility guidelines and information on membership, please contact The Entrepreneur Circle at 860-432-4490 or info@theEcircle.com