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A committee is simply a group that can carry out tasks on behalf of the full Board.  A committee is often a subgroup of the Board itself, but it can also include non-Board members such as outside experts or even volunteers. 

• A standing committee is a long-term committee, usually designated in the organization’s by-laws, which carries out an ongoing responsibility of the Board such as financial oversight or fundraising. 
• An ad-hoc committee, or task force, is formed to perform a specific, time-limited function such as revising the by-laws or planning a special event.

The primary reason for forming a committee is efficiency.  Multiple committees can focus simultaneously on their respective areas of work, with final decisions made by the full Board on the basis of the work done in a committee. 

For the Board and any committee structure you develop to function effectively, there must be a degree of trust and familiarity among Board members, and each of them must possess a fair amount of knowledge about the organization.  When someone on the Board says, “Maybe a couple of folks could work on this in time for the next Board meeting,” you’ve arrived at the right time to create a committee.

There are four crucial steps to establishing a committee that functions well.

1. Clear purpose.  It is critical to define the purpose of the committee, including why its work can’t be done by the full Board, then to translate that purpose into concrete tasks with timelines and specific anticipated outcomes.
2. Strong leadership.  A committee Chair leads the committee. This includes helping to translate the committee’s purpose into an action plan, managing its members and keeping them focused on the work to be accomplished, and connecting with the larger Board to ensure that the committee’s work supports and enhances the full Board’s agenda.  A committee is as effective as its leader.
3. Preset meeting times.  To the extent you can set up an advance schedule of meeting dates and times, or at least agree to the next meeting date and time before adjourning any meeting, your committee will have avoided a major obstacle to functioning well.
4. Added value.  Nothing is more frustrating to a committee than to spend time and effort researching, discussing and coming to conclusions and recommendations for the full Board, and then to have the full Board re-hash all the details in a Board meeting.  To avoid this problem:
   1. Help all Board members recognize the importance of trusting committees.
   2. Ensure that the Board Chair keeps a handle on discussions at Board meetings, and, when necessary, sends a matter back to a committee for further work rather than taking up the full Board’s time.
   3. Make sure the committee provides the full Board with enough information along with their recommendations so that a Board can make informed decisions.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink