Who knows better than your customers where your operations can be improved? Today, progressive firms increasingly rely on advisory councils to suggest improvements, recommend action, and offer feedback on programs and policies. In fact, many companies feel that this form. of communication is vital to the continuous improvement of their business operations. A council, among other things, improves communication and spurs improvement of operations. Remember that the secret to success is dialogue—the exchange of ideas and opinions. Focus on problems your customers have. Spell out your goals and objectives. Each meeting should have a specific objective to accomplish. Determine the meeting's frequency. If you want to implement a strategic plan, an annual meeting may be enough. If you want to focus on operational issues, more meetings may be needed. A good council will have no more than 12 people, with half of the members from your company and half your customers. It should also have diversity in its membership. Members should serve from one to three years-rotation of membership will ensure the council doesn't become stale. Find an approximate meeting site, whether it's in-house or off site, where there will be no interruptions. You should pay for all the expenses related to the meeting—remember, the council members are providing your company with a service. Treat them as your guests and your experts. If you have a fixed beginning and ending time to your meeting, stick to it. When structuring the meeting, remember the 80720 problem-solving rule. Structure the meeting so that 20 percent of the time is spent identifying or discussing a problem and 80 percent of the time is spent designing a solution. Often it is helpful to have a person act as timekeeper and announce when the agenda time for a particular item has expired. However, during the meeting, be flexible. The facilitator can allow. the group to decide whether to move on to the next item or extend the discussion. As you go along, look to narrow the differences among members and form. a consensus. As the meeting closes, summarize what was accomplished, checking for agreement and commitment among the members. Make a detailed list of the follow-up items, who has responsibility for each item, and a timeline for completion. The results from really listening to and learning from your customers in a well-run advisory council can pay huge dividends. Why does the writer put the suggestion that, advisory councils should be set up______