| 1. |
Be
clear about the committee’s purpose. What does it exist
to accomplish? |
| 2. |
Stay
away from standing committees wherever possible. The urgency
and importance of the committee’s tasks tend to get diluted
when the group meets month after month. Instead, rely on
ad hoc (self-limiting) committees to deal with specific
issues. |
| 3. |
Give
considerable thought to who should sit on the committee.
Look outside the board and, perhaps even, the organization.
You will not only increase your chances of finding people
with the specific skills you need, you will end up cultivating
potential board members for the future. |
| 4. |
Tell
people why they were asked to sit on the committee and what
is expected of them. Include likely commitments of time, energy,
skills, contacts and money. |
| 5. |
Spend
some time allowing committee members to bond. People are
more willing to participate and take on responsibility when
they feel a commitment to the group. |
| 6. |
As
a group, state the problems or issues to be tackled. This
way everyone starts on the same page. |
| 7. |
Limit
committee discussions to topics that fit the organization’s
mission, vision, values and priorities. |
| 8. |
Send
out agendas and preparatory materials ahead of meetings
so that people can come prepared to work. |
| 9. |
Meet
only when there is something substantial with which to deal.
There is nothing sacred about monthly meetings. |
| 10. |
Give
people sufficient notice of meetings and try to avoid making
last minute changes to the schedule. |
| 11. |
Begin
and end your meetings on time. People are far more likely
to come if they feel you respect their calendar. |
| 12. |
Assign
tasks as evenly as possible. While it may be easier to
ask the same handful of people that do everything, it guarantees
that you limit participation, leadership development and
potential productivity. |
| 13. |
Solicit
then listen to everyone’s input. After all, the value of committees
is summed up in the adage “two heads are better than one.” |
| 14. |
Don’t just accept comments at face value. Feed back the
comments in your own language, applying your interpretation.
Ask questions. Probe. Be sure you understand what is being
said, and why it is being said. |
| 15. |
Assume
that even the most off-the-wall ideas make sense to the
people who express them. Instead of rejecting such ideas
out of hand, ask for clarification. |
| 16. |
Don’t
fight over ownership of an idea. The important thing is
that the idea is out there to potentially benefit the organization |
| 17. |
Speak
only for yourself. Let others provide their own explanations
or rationales. |
| 18 |
Play
the devil’s advocate. Always ask the group to consider the
downside of a pending decision. When people feel they have
thoroughly looked at all the potential negatives, they are
more confident of any decisions to proceed. |
| 19. |
Strive
for consensus. While time consuming, it simplifies implementation
and ensures commitment. |
| 20. |
Bring
conflict into the open. |
| 21. |
Don’t
assume that silence means agreement in situations where
decisions are being made. |
| 22. |
If
you can’t reach consensus, consider |
| |
a)
|
Identifying shared interests and working to build on those. |
| |
b)
|
Thinking
up ways to make the most promising option better or more palatable.
|
| |
c)
|
Putting
aside the solutions already on the table, restating the mission,
vision and goals, and generating a new list of possible solutions
that might also/better meet the organization’s needs. |
| |
d)
|
Initiating
a trial period in which the strongest option is put to the
test. |
| |
e)
|
Changing
the scope of the problem. |
| |
f)
|
Agreeing
to limit the decision to procedural items rather than substantive. |
| 23. |
Stay
focused on the goals and tasks of the committee. |
| 24. |
Keep
action-oriented minutes |
| |
a) |
Record
only resolutions and votes, not “he said…,” “she said….” |
| |
b) |
Include
sections such as supplies to order, ideas to implement,
people to call. |
| |
c) |
Summarize
with who will do what, by when. |
| 25. |
Follow-up
after the meeting. |
| |
a) |
Ask committee
members if they are comfortable with their decisions. |
| |
b) |
Set
up a system to bring those who missed the meeting up to date. |
| |
c) |
Do
what you promised to do at the meeting. |
| 26. |
Prepare
a report to the board. Include: |
| |
a) |
The committee’s
recommendations. |
| |
b) |
The pros
and cons of each recommendation. |
| |
c) |
The rationale
for the recommendations made. |
