The short answer is…it depends. As someone who works with business owners and CEOs to form their advisory boards and very often stays on to serve as facilitator I remind them that their advisory board should be managed in a manner that works best for them.
The recommended frequency is quarterly. However if you serve on an advisory board of an educational institution you may find you meet only twice a year. I have a client who prefers to meet three times a year.
Preparing for the actual meeting has a lot to do with how frequently your advisory board will meet. I suggest in the Advisory Board Kit that the CEO start planning a month in advance what the agenda will be for the meeting and the materials the advisors will need to review. If the company has a lean management team, too frequent meetings puts additional pressure on the CEO.
If you are trying to determine what the best frequency is for you and your company, I suggest starting with quarterly for the first year. If something comes up between meetings you can either call a special meeting or arrange a conference call.
If you have an advisory board, how frequently do you meet?
Want to learn how to establish an advisory board? Check out the Advisory Board Kit: A Comprehensive Guide to Establishing an Advisory Board.
