SOS: 7 Quick Tips for Effective Steercom Meetings
At it’s core, a steering committee is an advisory committee usually made up of high-level stakeholders and/or experts who provide guidance on key issues such as company policy and objectives, budgetary control, marketing strategy, resource allocation.
However, it’s important to distinguish between steering and managing. A steering committee determines what job should be done while management gets it done. In other words, to provide results management needs clearly defined goals. And that’s the role of the steering committee to decide on the strategic vision and assign initiatives.
SOS: Sufficient – Objective – Succinct
As suggested by Liz Dewing, “Steering Committee effectiveness is achieved by keeping things: Sufficient, Objective, and Succinct (SOS).’”
For executives, it means a Steercom meeting is held to be informed about the general progress, specific obstacles and actions to address them in the least time possible. For the team, it means getting information on how to keep things goings and receiving guidance about things they may not know.
7 principles of effective Steercom meetings
#1. Keep the number of attendees to a minimum – Steercoms are held for the authority to make decisions, not to simply keep people informed.
#2. To save time to resolve issues left from the previous meeting before the next Steercom. If any issue is discussed during several Steercoms, it’s a clear sign it hasn’t been addressed in the right way.
#3. To make decisions quickly provide Steercom members with the most relevant information.
#4. Create the Steercom ‘routine’ that will allow members to focus on the agenda from the very beginning.
#5. Whatever terms/indicators/mechanisms are used, make sure they are interpreted and understood in the same way by all Steercom members.
#6. Send a detailed agenda and any materials that require pre-reading in advance so that Steercom members know what to expect.
#7. Though Steercoms are mostly about problem solving, don’t forget to celebrate your achievements.
