Making Committees Work
By Mark Grzeskowiak
What's the secret to an effective committee? The answer to that question, as far as I'm concerned, is chocolate donuts. Lots of them. If they're not available, then I suggest chocolate chip muffins. Stay away from fruit and vegetable platters, because they get messy and encourage double-dipping. Alas, there's more to successful committees than ensuring its members are well fed during meetings. As I see it, four things are crucial:
Just think of your friends.
A clear overall purpose or objective: Why do you have friends and why do you go out with them? They're enjoyable company, you don't like to sit around alone, they cook, whatever. Having friends pleases and entertains you, and you want to continue to be pleased and entertained. Experiencing pleasure and entertainment = a clear, overall purpose.
A clear agenda: Anyone who has ever tried to organize a group of friends on a Friday night knows that offering too many options is counterproductive. Suggesting that the group "do something on Friday" will likely result in a flurry of phone calls and emails, as everyone tries to decide what, exactly, to do. Suggesting that the group go see a movie on Friday is much better, but will also require a certain amount of consensus-building. Some will want to see a comedy, others will want to see an action flick, and there's always someone who wants to see that latest artsy Italian film by Federico Whatshisname. Suggesting that the group go to see a particular movie on Friday is, organizationally, the best option. Indeed, to be most effective, you should plan the whole thing: Go to Restaurant X, see Movie Y, then head to Café (or Club) Z. There's your agenda.
The same goes for committees: If the agenda is unclear, too much time will be lost trying to accommodate the individual desires of its members.
Good leadership: To return to our example, each of those friends called about Friday night will want to see the movie that they're interested in seeing. But, since you're the organizer, they will – as good friends do – leave the final decision up to you. For you, the easy way to make the choice is to go with the majority. If most of your friends want to see a comedy, see a comedy. But sometimes half of the group wants to see a comedy, and the other half wants to see an action flick (plus the one guy who wants to see the artsy film and always loses out). So sometimes the simple go-with-the-majority is impossible, or unfair.
Committee leadership is therefore about more than just rubber-stamping the collective will of its members. Committees need to be directed, because committees provide a forum for competing opinions. Someone needs to ensure that all members are given an equal opportunity to contribute, and to ensure that all minority positions are heard. And someone will also have to make a decision. Committee leaders, therefore, must strike the right balance between consensus-building and decision-making.
Dedicated members: Sadly, sometimes even the tightest group of close friends can drift apart. Some get married, have children, or find new friends. (And the lover of artsy Italian films may have finally come to his senses and moved to Europe.) For whatever reason, organizing that group of friends who used to enjoy going out together on Friday nights has become difficult, if not impossible. No one responds to your emails, and if they do, it's usually too late.
Ultimately, a committee cannot function if its members are not interested. Members who have lost interest will only make it difficult for the committee to reach its objective. It's therefore important that those who can't or won't commit be encouraged to step aside.
Four clear factors. Really, having an effective committee is quite simple...