Stop Abusing Your Advisory Board Members

1
Stop Abusing Your Advisory Board Members!

• Bill Brown, Dean
• Technology Division
• Johnson County Community College
• Overland Park, KS

2

• Education is experience.
• Everything else is just information.
• Albert Einstein

3
Who am I? Why am I in front?

• Small business owner, advisory board member
• Corporate technical trainer, advisory board
  member
• Teacher/faculty/instructor, advisory board member
• Corporate industry/education partnership manager,
  advisory board member
• Assistant Dean, advisory board member
• Dean, advisory board member

4
Sound familiar?

• Many no-shows
• Centered around food
• Short or no agenda
• More school folks than business people
• Mention of we have to do this, its required
• Little or no value given to discussion
• Everyone gets to go home early!
• I cant get anyone from XYZ business to reply

5
W I I F M?? (Whats in it for me?)

• What is the value of my attendance?
• Does my opinion matter ?
• Im called an advisor, why dont they want my
  advice?
• What was that all about?
• Nice meal, how about prime rib next time?

6
What is a meeting worth?

• One to two hour meetings typical
• Transportation at their own expense
• Limited or no contact with customers
• Often, no apparent value in participating
• Compliance meeting, not really productive
• Check the price of a consultant for your program

7
The big question..

• Where did you learn how to run an advisory board
  meeting??

8
Recruiting members

• Visit them!
• Be enthusiastic!
• Assume they want to help!
• Assure them the meeting will begin and end on
  time!
• Promise them their voice will be heard!
• Demonstrate how their input will be used to
  improve your program.
• Be sure to follow up with a written Thank you
  for serving and details of the next meeting.

9
Retaining ACTIVE members

• Send invitations, with details, no less than 2
  weeks before!
• Ask for RSVP!
• Do phone follow-up one week before, to everyone!
• Give them specific responsibilities for the
  meeting.
• Solicit agenda items and put them on the agenda.
• Communicate high expectations.

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The secrets to a GREAT board!

• Tell little, ask lots!
• Make an agenda and stick to it!
• Demonstrate the effects!
• Not using Roberts Rules, at least VOTE!
• Why meet only two times a year?
• Stay connected throughout the year!
• Develop a mission, vision, values, bylaws,
  guidelines, charterand write it down.
• Use students.
• Engage them!!

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Closing thought..

• Learn from the mistakes of others.
• You probably wont live long enough
• to make them all yourself!
• Old Proverb
• Questions?

12
Thank you!

• Contact information
• Johnson County Community College
• Technology Division, Box 70
• Bill Brown, Dean
• 12345 College Blvd.
• Overland Park, KS 66210
• 913-469-2520 bbrown_at_jccc.edu