Association Leadership - September/October 2008 - (Page 35)

volunteers: committee planning Committee Planning Tips for creating organized, focused and accountable committees ommittee planning should be a priority because they facilitate the board’s work while bringing fresh perspectives to the organization. Committee participation is a good way to engage the members and identify future leaders. the next year. By planning the committee structure before taking ofﬁce, the president can give the committee chairs a jump-start on achieving their goals. members per quarter.” Ask them to report their results in writing at each quarterly board meeting. The Chairs Should be Accountable Committees work best with a chair and vice chair to take responsibility for the work. Co-chairs sometimes run committees. The least effective committees are those without any appointed chair, but rather a group of members – nobody being sure who is in charge or accountable. When discussing duties with the committee chairs, provide a written description of the role and expectations of the chairs. Are they expected to attend board meetings, make reports or come up with their own action plan? By telling them what is expected, committees will work to beneﬁt the board. Remind them of this adage: Committees make recommendations, boards ratify and staff implement. Making Appointments, Orientation After determining the committees, the chairs, and the charges, use decorum to make the appointments. Whether it is the association’s president or the committee chair who appoints committee members, do it with an etiquette that makes members feel special about being asked to serve. Tell prospective committee members the purpose of the committee on which they are being asked to serve. Describe the committee’s goals and who will be its chair. Provide details about how often the committee meets, whether meetings are in person or by conference call and if expenses will be reimbursed. When inviting a member to join the committee, give them a reply form they can return by mail or fax so you can be certain they have accepted or declined the invitation to serve. Identify the Committees Standing committees are required and described in the association’s bylaws. Make a list of the standing committees and their requirements, such as prescribed duties and number of members. Ad hoc, special and “task forces” committees are appointed as needs arise. Your president should consider the association’s objectives and whether or not the standing committees can accomplish all of them. If not, consider appointing special committees that have a narrow focus. They will be disbanded after they achieve their goals. Timeline The best time to identify, appoint and charge committees is before the incoming president is installed and prior to the ﬁrst board meeting. The incoming president should consult with ofﬁcers and staff to decide what committees must be appointed to handle the work ahead. Take into consideration any work the previous committees did not complete, as well as projects that should be carried into Charging the Committees Committee goals must be consistent with the organization’s mission statement, bylaws and strategic plan. Similarly, if the committee is expected to expend funds or raise them, it should also be consistent with the budget. Committees are more likely to succeed with very clear directives or charges. Realistically, one to three charges per committee should make up the bulk of the work for the year. With too many directives, volunteers become overwhelmed and confused. The best charges for committees are well-deﬁned, measurable goals with deadlines and interim benchmarks. For example, the president may want to increase membership in the association. The charge to the committee might read: “To increase membership by 5 percent over the current level of 600 regular members, by adding 8 new regular Require Written Reports There is a tendency to treat committees as an informal meeting. However, they should be run similar to a board meeting, with the chair providing an agenda and meeting speciﬁcs. Reports should be required for every committee meeting. The president may choose to require meeting minutes or to provide a standard form that simply asks who attended and what was accomplished. By sharing this report with the president and staff, committees can more effectively gauge their progress and may meet their goals with greater efﬁciency. ◆ NOTE: Robert C. Harris, CAE, is an association executive and consults on management efﬁciency. Contact him at Bob@RCHCAE.com. September/October 2008 | Association LEADERSHIP 35

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - September/October 2008

Association Leadership - September/October 2008 Contents President’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions An Interview with TSAE’s New Chairperson TSAE’s Newest Board Members Vetting Volunteers Orientation of Volunteer Leaders Get on Board – Qualification Considerations Questions to Ask Before Saying Yes Liability Insurance for Volunteer Leaders Committee Planning TSAE’s Annual Golf Outing Congratulations to Our New CAEs Perspectives Association Case Study New Members Community Spotlight San Antonio Beaumont Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com The Lighter Side of Associations

Association Leadership - September/October 2008

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