'Donde hay escucha y reflexión, hay evolución. El consejo consultivo es un aula en la que todos aprenden'.
The Advisory Council: Much more than a formality
In small and medium -sized family businesses, the idea of forming advice is usually seen as something distant or unnecessary. “That is for large companies,” some say. Others believe that “with the family is enough.” But time and challenges show that it is not enough. The closeness does not supplement the strategy, and affection does not replace the vision.
Therefore, more than a control body, the Advisory Council can be a learning space. A space to talk about the important, what is postponed and what gives direction. It is not necessary to be large, formal or legally constituted as in the companies that are quoted in the stock market. It is enough that you intend, basic structure and continuity.
Reflection: In the family business, it is not about imposing structures, but about creating spaces where experience is heard and the future is built with consciousness.
Why start with an advisory advice?
Because it is the place where the family learns to listen, to ask, to receive feedback without feeling threat. It is an environment where key habits are developed for the future: to think before deciding, open space to other voices, check what is taken for granted.
In addition, it allows inviting one or two external directors with an emotional experience, vision or maturity, which enriches the conversation without taking identity to the family. The Advisory Council thus becomes a kind of mirror and compass: it reflects what we are and guides what we can become.
The Advisory Council is not a luxury, it is a tool of humility: it reminds us that we do not know everything and that we can always learn more.
Advisory Council vs. Board of Directors: What is the difference?
It is common to confuse them, but their nature and purpose are different:
Advisory Council: It is a non -binding organ, that is, its recommendations are not mandatory. Its main function is to advise, guide and accompany. It is ideal for family businesses that are in the process of professionalization or that still do not have maturity for a formal advice. It is flexible, formative and evolutionary.
Board of Directors: It is a formal and legally constituted body, with the power of decision on the strategy, management and control of the company. It is mandatory in certain corporate structures and requires a higher level of institutionalization and experience.
Therefore, starting with an advisory council is a wise decision for family businesses that are still learning to work with government structures. It’s like learning to walk before running: it allows you to develop skills, generate trust and build a culture of dialogue before assuming more formal commitments.
More than an organ, a dynamic
The Advisory Council is not just a table with chairs and agenda. It is a dynamic that professionalizes without dehumanizing, which orders without bureaucratizing. It works if it is celebrated regularly, if you have a clear agenda and if the issues discussed are the ones that really matter: succession, reinvestment, growth, culture and legacy.
It is a laboratory where family entrepreneurs learn to think with perspective, to give space to the new generations and to build a company that transcends beyond the founder.
‘A good advice not only directs: educates, unites and transforms‘.
The institutionalization does not begin with papers, it begins with conversations. And the Advisory Council is the place where these conversations take shape.
The paradox is this: to advance, sometimes you have to stop to listen. To grow, you have to learn to share the helm. And to build future, you have to start by talking in the present.
A family business that is heard. A family that talks about the business prepares for the future. The Advisory Council is, many times, the prelude to the legacy.
About the author:
Twitter: @mariorizofiscal
The opinions expressed are only the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and the editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
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