GET ON BOARD Keep Committees Under Control and Reap Big Rewards

Dr. Ted Flickinger IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer

An executive stated that, unbeknownst to him, a board member who chairs a committee that organizes special events had a new letterhead created for the agency to use in promoting one of its events. The director was quite shocked at what ended up on his desk.

A board president called the next day to ask how she might improve the attitude of one of her fellow commissioners who could always be relied upon to criticize any proposal that comes before the board.

Those conversations allowed me to reflect on the proper use of committees.

Getting Nay Sayers on Your Side

In my last column I wrote that a strong committee system saves a lot of time by researching issues thoroughly and then making recommendations to the full board. A side benefit is that committee work can turn your board's biggest cynic into one of its biggest boosters. Sometimes board members who are critical of proposed policies simply don't understand the rationale or the nuances behind the proposal. However, if the board member is on the committee that prepares the proposal, he or she is then involved in the big picture. Being involved in an issue from the inside often allows that board member to understand how new policies fit in to the agency's mission.

Give Committees a Clear Mandate

But boards can't just form committees and turn them loose. Without guidelines, committees may overstep their bounds or take on inappropriate tasks (such as designing unwanted agency letterheads — or worse).

Every board committee and committee chairperson needs direction. Board committees should have a job description that explains their responsibilities and limits of authority. The board should expect a specific outcome from each committee — a recommendation, a budget or an event, for example. The chairperson should see to it that the committee operates with a clear action plan for accomplishing this work product within the time frame and budget mandated by the board.

Committees shouldn't meet when there's no work to do. Board members' time is too valuable and should not be wasted on meetings that are unnecessary. Once a committee completes its assigned task, it should be either dissolved or lie dormant until there is a new charge given to that committee.

Committees should also have a staff liaison. The staff liaison keeps the committee focused and works closely with the committee chair and the agency executive as well.

Guide the Committee Chairs

Committee work can turn your board's biggest cynic into one of its biggest boosters.

Listed below are guidelines that can help board committee chairs manage their committees more effectively.

1. Know the difference between power and authority. Committee chairs have the authority to run meetings, enforce rules, help make final decisions and delegate work. But they cannot act without full board authority. Committee chairs have no authority of their own. They only have the specific responsibilities granted to them by the board.

2. Chairs should know the agency well, be knowledgeable of how it works and understand its strategic goals and mission.

3. Chairs should learn from those who have been past chairs. They should learn from the successes and mistakes of their predecessors, so they don't have to reinvent the wheel.

4. Chairs should keep their minds open. They should solicit a variety of different opinions from people on the committee. They should motivate the other committee members to think, and be ready to listen to their ideas.

5. Chairs should work closely with their executives, getting advice and counsel. Or, they should have a staff person assigned to the committee to help provide necessary information so the committee can make decisions.

6. Chairs must be leaders. Committee chairs should be there to motivate fellow committee members and to get them to work as a team by keeping committee members involved and on task.

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7. Chairs must communicate with committee members before reporting to the board. The chair should have the committee review final reports before they are put before the board.

Shake Things Up

Each year the board should evaluate the performance of its standing committees. (The last meeting of an ad hoc committee should be devoted to evaluation as well.) The results of these evaluations will help you learn how to improve as a committee member, as well as determine the usefulness of the committee itself.

To ensure that your board has the proper number of committees you may want to try a "clean slate" exercise. This involves disbanding all committees, preparing a list of functions a committee can handle more efficiently than the full board, and then reestablishing only those committees for which the need still exists. Committees that work are good. Committees that are merely self-perpetuating are time killers.

Make Committee Work Good Work

Serving on committees is good for board members. It invests them in issues and allows them to learn more about the agencies they serve. Chairing a committee is also a good way to learn leadership skills. But, these committees are only worthwhile when they serve the agency by producing a policy or work product that is valuable to the organization.

Since this is the conference issue of the magazine, you may be reading this article while you're at the Hyatt Regency waiting for your next session to begin. Take a look around you. Count the sessions. Visit the exhibitors' hall. Enjoy the social activities. These things don't happen by accident. The IAPD and IPRA staffs work hard to make this happen, but they get direction from -you guessed it - a committee. In this case the 14-member IAPD/IPRA Joint Conference Committee.

Enjoy the conference. Learn a lot. But also look around and be inspired by the good work a committee can do.

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