Building an Advisory Team for Networking

In my last blog, I started a series on building an Advisory Team for networking.  I talked about being clear before creating a team, to be certain that a team is what you really want. If you are clear that you want one, the next step in the process is Logistics.

Logistics are the Who/What/Where/When and How of your Advisory Board.  This is the structure that everything else revolves around.  It includes activities like setting up meeting times and forming guidelines for communication, conflict resolution and leadership.

People often minimize the importance of this step or ignore it all together.  They think:

• I'll figure this stuff out as I go; or
• it’s too much trouble—we're all friends; we don't need this.

And, after all, you’d only invite people to join your team who would go with the flow…right?

Friends or not, almost every time an advisory team disbands, becomes stagnant or breaks down, it can be traced back to some logistical detail that was overlooked or disregarded.

True Story

Five business women formed an advisory team.  They created it to expand their networks and provide a confidential sounding board for everyone. 

One morning, a conference call was scheduled.  Everyone was on time for the call except one member.  When that member finally got on the call, rather than acknowledge being late, she started laughing and said she had to take another call instead.  The conference call continued, but it was stiff and awkward.

When this group formed, everyone agreed to honor all meeting and call times.  That logistical piece was handled well.  However, no way had been set up to skillfully handle a broken agreement.  Trust started to erode instantly.  No one addressed how they felt about it to her so it did not get resolved.  Not long after that, someone else did something similar.  The group disbanded in less than two months and never got back together again. 

I realize this may sound extreme to you, but consider this:  Each person above had their own full life.  This advisory group was in addition to that already full life.  This could have been prevented--or made easier at least--by everyone agreeing up front that if they had to be late or miss a meeting or call, they’d acknowledge it.  Maybe they’d even agree to do something for the others in the group, such as take notes, pay for some supplies, etc.

I’ve found several logistical categories to consider when forming a team.  Here are a few:

Frequency, life cycle, time

• Is this an ongoing group?  Should we try it for a few months and see how it works?
• Will we allow people to come and go to meetings or other events as desired?
• How often will we meet and, will that frequency work for everyone?

Budget

• Will I cover all expenses, including food?
• Are there any items that might come up that will need to be paid?  (i.e., a facility that decides they can no longer let you meet there for free).
• Should we create a budget for our group?  Who will manage it?

Location

• Is this the best location for all group members?
• Would conference calls be better than meeting in person?
• Is it available every time we want to meet?
• Is it safe to get to and from peoples’ vehicles or other transportation?

Facilitation

• Do I want to lead every group meeting?
• Would hiring a professional facilitator to run our meetings be best?
• How will we handle conflict?  How will we acknowledge people?
• Do we want everyone to take a turn leading?  If so, is that the best use of each person’s talents?

Don’t skip logistics!  This step will save you time and energy and give you a solid base for inviting people to join your team.  Your focus can be on the group’s purpose--networking—rather than things such as unresolved conflicts.    

If you’re interested in learning more about how to implement Logistics into your planning process, my Advisory Team Guide series is available at www.creatinganadvisoryboard.com.