Committee world is a parallel universe. It is where great ideas and good intentions go to die or be seriously damaged. It is a world where high aspirations are replaced by high placation.
What is this place?
It is the world that the entrepreneur must avoid at all costs. If you intend to build your social enterprise into something interesting and impacting, avoid managing it by committee. This is difficult in social enterprise because the external forces usually operate by committee and your community (virtual or otherwise) is most comfortable with decisions made by committee action, etc. RESIST THE URGE.
Yes, boards of directors play a role—but it is not to direct and lead, it is to advise and guide. Set up your organisation to ensure someone takes the blame for mistakes and conversely is rewarded for success and you will watch your organisation thrive. Without ownership by a small group, a project/plan/business will only succeed due to external forces. This will feel uncomfortable to the entrepreneur, and it should. Internal forces should be driving your enterprise with guidance and acknowledgment from external forces.
If you feel your project slowing down or underachieving, look at your management structure: does a person or any small group own success/failure (i.e. they will be severely impacted +/-)? If they do, is the compensation structured to reward good behavior? Are the managers empowered to make decisions?
Interesting things begin to happen when ownership is involved. Keep your committees, but put them in an advisory role so you can get on with the project/business/organisation.
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