Have steering committees become a reason for project failure?
I am not sure what to commend and what to condemn. There was a time when people went about major projects alone – no consultation with anyone; no collaboration with anyone. Obviously, no project is an island. Obviously, these projects were disasters. Then came the time when every project formed a steering committee. Team members picked from across the organization that steered the project. Many meetings and many more presentations. Have the project failure rates declined? Not quite. So now we have an organizational instrument that is as good as having a ball and chain around the project’s ankle.
Which is better for the health of the project? To cut to the chase, are steering committees critical to project success?
The answer is a resounding…depends!
It depends on following some simple rules for the formation and operation of these committees that have become debating societies in the fine tradition of the United Nations.
Here are a few rules to follow:
- Steering committees should be formed ONLY for major projects. That too for projects that have cross organizational impact
- Steering committees should have 5-7 participants – max! Anything more is an invitation for a party not a serious place for business discussions.
- Participants should be chosen from key stakeholder departments/organizational units. There is room for one or two subject matter experts. However, these SMEs MUST NOT be on the project team.
- No one should be on more than 2 steering committees.
- Steering committee is a guiding body NOT the party responsible for project outcome. The project manager retains that responsibility. Hence, she also retains the required authority and should be able to overrule committee guidance without repercussion.
- Attendance at committee meetings must be mandatory. If you miss, then send in a replacement. If you miss more than 2 meetings in a quarter then we thank you for your participation but get out and let someone else take your place.
- Every steering committee meeting must have minutes taken and circulated shortly after its conclusion to all stakeholders – not just the committee. There should be a mechanism to collect responses and respond to questions.
I remember a pithy tagline that I keep in mind when dealing with meetings in general and steering committees in particular: “Meetings will go on till someone figures out why no work is getting done!”
