BULDING THE FUTURE

Chapter IX. Effective Committees

Effective Committees

Committees are often the working force at the heart of an organization. Effective organizations are often directly related to effective committees.

"A committee of three gets things done if two don't show up" --- Herbert V. Prochnow

If this is how your committee works best, you may need to make some adjustments. All of us have experienced the long, dreadful board meetings where upon leaving you're not sure what was accomplished. Committees, used effectively, can save time and make it easier for members to make decisions. It also broadens the involvement of members because each board member or executive requires committee members to work with them.

Why Committees are Used?

They are used to save time at general meetings. Matters can be discussed and reviewed in detail by a committee and recommendations brought to the general meeting. The work of the organization becomes more efficient. The specialized skills and interests of members are used to their full advantage. More members get involved in the detail work of the organization. Responsibilities are shared according to skills and interests of members.

New or inexperienced members can gain valuable insight into the organization and develop confidence by serving on committees.

Type of Committees

There are two basic kinds of committees:

Standing - committees are created by the standing orders, rules, by-laws, or regulations of an organization. They exist and function on a permanent basis. Examples of common standing committees would be finance, nomination, education, etc.

Ad Hoc - committees are appointed for a specific purpose on a short-term basis. An example is organizing an educational event.

Purpose of Committees

A Committee is a small group appointed to deal with a specific task or problem and carry out the plan of action as directed by the organization, the executive or the board of directors.

Many organizations have too many committees, often with unclear responsibilities. You should be able to answer the following before any committee is established:

  • what's the purpose and authority of this committee?
  • what are the responsibilities, specific tasks and time limits of this committee?
  • identify what success will look like including an evaluation process that includes how often
  • what type of reporting to the organization is expected?
  • job or role descriptions, expectations of each committee member (examples: chairperson, recorder)
  • what's the term of office for members? How do we fill vacancies?
  • how are members picked for this committee?
  • what's the budget of this committee?
  • what resources does this committee have and what will it need to complete its task?
  • a reward and recognition program

The committee's terms of reference should be written and included in the organization's policies or recorded in a motion. These terms of reference are available to all organization members.

Committee Membership

Selecting committee members is the best way to ensure that you get the people with the right skills, interests and commitment to the task. Three to seven people are a good size for most committees.


The Chairperson's Role...
  • assist the committee in developing a common view
  • share responsibilities
  • stimulate the group
  • conduct thorough orientations from term to term to gain the full understanding of the role and expectations

The committee chair should be selected with careful consideration. The chair isn't necessarily the technical expert of the committee. It's more important that the person works well with others, can organize effectively, can motivate others, keeps people on task and has good communication skills. Other responsibilities of the chair include preparing and presenting committee reports, ensuring a successor is groomed to assume the chair's role in the future, setting agendas, calling meetings and ensuring that all members have the opportunity to contribute.

Recruiting Committee members...

  1. recruit people with expertise willing to donate their skills for the term of the committee, not necessarily members
  2. recruit interested and dedicated people
  3. keep the committee size small enough to communicate easily
  4. periodically assess effectiveness of committee to keep on track
  5. have a good, clear committee job description so everyone understands exactly what needs to be done

Committee Reporting

The committee is responsible for keeping the organization or group that created them informed about their accomplishments. There are three ways to report back to the group:

  1. for information - update the board on the committee work but feedback or a decision is not required. To save time, give a written report and circulate before the meeting.
  2. for discussion - looking for feedback from the membership. Circulate the committee report before the meeting to encourage more feedback, set a time limit for discussion. Propose issues you would like to discuss.
  3. for action - wants the board to make a decision so committee prepares a report and states the recommendation in the form of a motion. Circulate the report before to give people a chance to think about the recommendations and their impact.

The committee chair usually reports to the general meeting. Reports should be concise, but should show that a full discussion was held and all options were considered. The organization should never feel that the committee missed something. The committee should present specific recommendations. Reports that are for information only don't require a motion. If a committee wants to bring ideas, actions or recommendations to the members through their report, the committee chair should say, "By direction of the committee, I move . . . "

Making Committees Work Effectively

Committees work efficiently and effectively when the following questions can be answered with a "yes" response.

  • Is the purpose of the committee clear to all members?
  • Does the committee recognize its time commitments both in the overall project and at meetings?
  • Is there good communication among members?
  • Are members and the chair well prepared?
  • Are minutes clear and concise?
  • Does the committee evaluate its performance?
  • Are members recognized and appreciated?
  • Is the work of the committee recognized as making a valuable contribution to the organization?

Summary

A committee is really a work unit of the organization. It's the best way to take work and break it into meaningful and manageable chunks. Effective committees remove time-consuming detail from organization meetings. They allow more people to be involved and expand the support base of the organization. Committees build commitment of members to the organization.

© 2001 Metis Nation of the South
 

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