The Power of a Steering Committee

Having a Steering Committee or some type of Advisory Board within a company can be vital in the development of operational productivity and strategic planning.  This team acts as somewhat of a focus group whose main goal is to create new directions for the company that haven’t been previously explored.  It doesn’t matter how big or small a company is; a team of people have a better chance at devising more constructive plans than one individual alone.

In many small companies, the business owner leads the way in creativity, direction and innovation.  However, even the most knowledgeable entrepreneurs recognize that they alone can’t get their company to the top.  Sometimes a business owner is too vested in the company and can benefit from the point of view of others who may be able to view certain situations from a different perspective.

A Steering Committee is made up of a small group of individuals who are interested in brainstorming ideas and troubleshooting problems in an effort to make the company better in some way. Sometimes it’s more beneficial to have representatives from different levels of the company.  A committee comprised of only management may not accurately represent the company as a whole.

As with any committee, a Steering Committee should have a leader who facilitates the group and provides some level of direction.  As a whole, the group should decide on various topics to brainstorm and set goals to accomplish.  Regular meetings should occur in an effort to maintain continuity.  Someone should be appointed to document the minutes of each meeting so that valuable discussions are not forgotten and the meetings have some sense of organization.

If your company is so small that there are not enough employees to compile an effective team, you can try to enlist volunteers outside of the company who may be willing to help.  Either way, there are few people who would deny that a group of minds working together toward the same goal can produce better results than one person alone.  Spending just one hour per week or one hour per month for this team to focus on making the company a better place can breed a whole host of ideas that would never have been developed had it not been for the implementation of a Steering Committee.

Try this at your company and see how much progress can come from dedicating a team of people to making your company better in every way.  It’s a small investment in time that could create very powerful and effective changes.