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If you find yourself on community committees ~ how do you spped up the chair when the meeting is running way behind time?

mdave's picture

Be an active and positive participant in keeping things moving. The chair will appreciate it -- I know I do. And remember, most community committees are VOLUNTEER. As a result, there is a lot more acceptance of people's communication styles , inefficiencies, and eccentricities than in the workplace and the price of upsetting people can be much larger. A volunteer can leave -- and take thier friends with them......

stephenbooth_uk's picture

have you tried building a relationship with the people who are  wasting time and influencing them to keep within a reasonable time.  It's worth a try, although I know from experience that some people are impervious to influence.  In my experience the worst offenders tend to have had significant role power at work.  Then they retired and missed the power, so they joined a committee.

Alternatively become the secretary and so control the agenda. 

After a short time you'll get a feeling for who is interested in what areas and who tends to ramble on, if you don't already know that.  If you keep items that are likely to be of interest to the more loquacious of your committee members towards the end you can at least get through the important business before you grind to a halt. 

Another useful tactic is to type up the minutes, if there are any, immediately after the meeting then distribute them with a covering note saying "Any corrections or matters arising to be advised to the chair and secretary, in writing, at least 5 days before the date of the next meeting."  Make any corrections to the minutes ahead of the meeting and distribute the corrected minutes and the notified matters arising a day before.  Include the written matters arising with the minutes of the next meeting when they go out.   This can cut down on people constantly revisiting the same agenda items and saying the same thing at meeting after meeting as it creates peer pressure from other committee members who now have documentary evidence that these points have been raised before.

Finally, name agenda items as specifically as possible and keep them as atomic as you can.  Resist the temptation to combine items.  Then, once an item is closed, take it off the agenda.  This minimises the opportunity for all but the most boorish of bores to use a related item to reopen an old and closed issue that was thought to be dead and buried by everyone else.

 As a last resort, suggest they set up a sub-committee to deal with the issue and come back to the next meeting with their suggestions.

Each of these is ethically rather grey but they are things that I have seen work in the past.  I've also seen a lot of committees rendered impotent by one or two members constantly revisiting the same issues over and over and over again so that nothing gets achieved and people get disillusioned and quit.  Sometimes the only tools you have available to you aren't the first ones you'd choose to do the job.

Stephen

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Skype: stephenbooth_uk

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Experience is how you avoid failure, failure is what gives you experience.

430jan's picture

I'm on a lot of community committees, so I feel your pain. I guess the first question is how much do you need the committee? In my experience many times the leadership is very well-meaning, but the sphere of their influence is not spread out very far, so if this committee is their kingdom, and you need it, then I think you should tread lightly and be patient. As MDave said, they will take their toys and go home.

Have you developed a relationship as Stephen suggested? In a community group that means sticking your paw in the air and doing the things that no one else will do (hauling in the cases of bottled water, printing the brochures, making phone calls, serving as the treasurer). Remember their birthdays, bring tomatoes from the garden. It's like work, but WAY HARDER. Have you listened well and politely become a part of this group? I have been in your same situation over the past 2 years. Never have I brought up the issues of ineffectively run meetings AT the meeting. But just last month I was slinging pizza to teenagers with the committee chair beside me, who finally asked  "Why do you think I can't get any younger members to join this coalition?" Yay!

I used the "Feel, felt, found" cast to frame the subject of younger members and how sensitive they are to getting back to their young families. Then I moved into the "effective meetings" podcast and asked if she had considered prewiring (of course I didn't use that term), and developing her agenda with devoted time slots. She was very receptive, but it was because I had worked very hard over the last 2 years. Next meeting, big improvement.

Good Luck!

Janet

stephenbooth_uk's picture

 ZOELLNER said: In a community group that means sticking your paw in the air and doing the things that no one else will do (hauling in the cases of bottled water, printing the brochures, making phone calls, serving as the treasurer).

 I've served as treasurer on a number of committees and feel a little miffed to see it described as a 'thing that no one else will do'.  In the right hands it's one of the two most powerful positions (the other is secretary, so much more than just typing up minutes and agenda then sending them out) in a committee.  If it is unpopular I suspect it's because treasurer is a position with a lot of responsibility and that requires a familiarity with numbers and the reading and preparation of accounts (skills that are very useful, vital even, for managers).  Part of the reason I've served as treasurer so often is that I do know how to read and prepare basic accounts.  Unfortunately that seems to be a rare skill. 

Stephen

 

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Skype: stephenbooth_uk

DiSC: 6137

Experience is how you avoid failure, failure is what gives you experience.

430jan's picture

Being a treasurer is a special skill, and daunting! Sad to say most of time in the committees on which I serve there are few so well equipped. I apologize for characterizing it  as something less than desirable. In actuality, I believe there is great honor in doing the things that no one else will do! When I raise my hand to serve I try to remember that it is a blessing to be able to serve others. Done in love, an act of service is something that still resounds as true and right.

I apologize for my clumsy wording and hope you will accept my gratitude for the service you provide through your committee work.

Janet

stephenbooth_uk's picture

 Janet,

no worries.  I think my comments came over rather harsher than I intended.  I am trying to improve the clarity of my communications.

 Stephen

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Skype: stephenbooth_uk

DiSC: 6137

Experience is how you avoid failure, failure is what gives you experience.

430jan's picture

I am practicing as well! I have found already that it misses a dimension of intent that we project by our presence and body language. One that Mark speaks of so well in each podcast!

It takes an extra measure of trust that we are all on the search for a better way of doing business. That can only help, yes? Thank you for your response.  All is well here.

Janet