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How to run committee meetings These ideas are given with the hope it will assist Presidents and Committee chairmen. Keep your Committee small. Try to mix old hands with new. a good ratio is one third new and the rest more experience Define jobs clearly and create a number of subcommittees. Various members of the Committee would become responsib for the work of a sub-committee and report to the Chairman. This might be a good way to lighten a heavy work load lot Committee. 1. Define your objectives. if you can‘t give explicit reasons for holding a committee meeting. you probably don‘t need one. 2. Decide on a time convenient to all your members. Individuals have varying work and social patterns. consult first to find out former commitments. 3. Pick a site easily accessible to the entire group. 4. Be sure meeting room is properly equipped. Seating pattern should conform to the size of the group. With too small a table. some will be left out of seats and probably the discussion also. Too l‘cw chairs will disrupt the meeting while late arrivals are waiting to be seated. 5. Make up an agenda which briefly. but fully explains the items to be considered. This will be your working agenda. 6. Mail committee meeting announcements and agenda. according to Handbook. This will give the members time to think. 7. Start the meeting on time. lfa key member is late. start discussing something else on the agendu_ Come back to her lupic later. 8. Introduce anyone not known to the entire group. Keep the introduction short. 9. Speak clearly and loud'enough to he heard, otherwise attention will wander. 10. State the item to be discussed briefly. but explicitly. Write it on the blackboard or flip chart. or repeat so all have a chance to write it down. | |. Discuss briefly why the problem has to be solved. At first this is self evident. but again you are creating an atmosphere. This helps to assume a more businesslike at- ttlude. 12. Keep control ofthe discussion. Any irrelevant discus- sions must be nipped in the bud. Private conversations are also taboo. 13. Talk only to the group. Don‘t get drawn into any 5 discussions. I4. Call on everyone for possible solutions. It is essenl you have maximum participation because you‘re goint need maximum effort from each individual to carry out final solution you arrive at. 15. Be sure speakers are heard and understood by t The responsibility lies on both the chairman and membe: to. Remain neutral. If you disagree with the speaker 2‘ questions, but do not argue. 1']. Maintain a positive approach. Gently but firmly St off anyone detailing a long list of ‘why' the problem ca be solved. One gloomy member, if allowed to take 0can discourage the entire group. Discuss the reasons is the problem has to be solved and call on someone else. 18. Don’t permit any one member to dominate i meeting. It's yourjob to see that everyone has equal tin I9. Keep conflicts between individuals to a minimum your meeting may divide into separate camps. If a pets“ argument brews between two of your members. quickly l on a third for a comment and throw the discussion bacl. the group. 20. Don’t rush the discussion. Most ‘wrong‘ solutir come from meetings which have not taken the lime consider all the alternatives. 2!. Choose a solution acceptable to all. if possible. final vote should end the discussion. the majority rules. 22. Choose the strongest advocates of the solution “It making assignments to carry through. They will w< hardest to prove it was the right decision. 23. Keep in touch with each member you've given al“ DOD‘I ask What she is doing, only for a progress report-