Effective Committees
Presented by
Majid ShabbirSecretary General
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Effective Committees
• Empowering Board and Secretariat and delegating authorities?
• Why a Committee?
• Basic Components of Effective Committees
• Characteristics of Effective Committee Chair
Objectives
Effective Committees
• Who and how the Board and Secretariat can be empowered to perform efficiently and effectively ?
• Orientation of Board
• When President/Chairman decides to stop micromanagement.
Empowering Board and Secretariat and delegating
authorities?
Effective Committees
• Presidents role should be visionary.
• Grooming and capacity building of Board members and employees
• Board needs to appoint committees for strategic actions, and empower staff for implementation.
Empowering Board and Secretariat and delegating
authorities?
Effective Committees
Breakout Session I
• What is an effective Board?• What are the benefits of
effective Board and Secretariat?
• How staff should be empowered to accomplish the assigned task ?
Effective Committees
• Carry out work of the organization
• Represent, involve, and serve members
• Provide training ground for future leaders of the organization
Why Committees?
Effective Committees
Group/Team
Communication
Contribution
Trust
Acceptance
Creativity
Appreciation
Collaboration Cycle
Effective Committees
How do you form Committees?
Effective Committees
Composition
Agenda
ResourcesKPIs
Self EvaluationPerformance
Cycles of Effective
Committees
Effective Committees
• Clear written purpose
• Effective committee chair
• Thoughtfully appointed members
• Accountability to the Board
• Well-run meetings
Basic components of Effective Committees
Effective Committees
Written description• There should be a written
description of what is expected from each committee
• The description should summarize the purpose of the committee, its composition
• Selection procedure, and the specific duties of the committee
Effective Committees
• Committee name -- suggests importance and
functions • Objectives --precise and achievable objectives• Duration – timings of actions should be specified• Authority to act -- advisory role or Board
delegates authority • Resources -- secretarial support , meeting
room, food etc.• Budget – may or may not be required• Membership – how to chose total members• Reporting – actions on assigned tasks,
accountability
Committee definition -- purpose
Effective Committees
• Preferably be a board member • Not necessarily the technical expert • Works well with others • Organizes effectively • Motivates others • Keeps people on task • Good communication skills
Traits of Committee Chair
Effective Committees
• Prepare and present committee reports with the support of staff
• A trendsetter to help produce an effective successor
• Set agendas
• Call meetings
• Allow all members opportunity to contribute
• Assign responsibilities and follow up
Responsibilities of Chair
Effective Committees
• Be familiar with goals of organization and
its by-laws
• Select members • Orient new members • Report to Board or Executive Committee • Praise member contributions • Conflict resolution
Responsibilities of Chair
Effective Committees
• Talk the most at meetings
• Make all the decisions
• Allow one or more people to dominate the meeting
• Cut people out of discussions
• Make people feel foolish or useless
Chair does NOT………
Effective Committees
Committee Members
• They should be appointed with the following focus
Do they have skills, experience and commitment to contribute effectively?• Volunteers – match needs of committee to
skills and interest of members • Number depends on amount and nature
of committee’s work
Valuable tool for developing and testing new leadership
Effective Committees
An effective meeting is:
• Effectively led
• Participatory
• Agenda focused
• Result oriented
Meeting Management
Effective Committees
Great committee meetings don’t just happen
• Set dates in advance
• Send reminders
• Send agenda with supporting documents
• Start and end on time
• Focus discussion
Meeting Management
Effective Committees
• Title of meeting
• Date, time, and location
• Approval of prior meeting minutes
• Old & new business
• Date, time and location of next meeting
Effective Committee Meetings -- Agenda
Effective Committees
• Prepare• Report absence in advance • Listen
• Speak up
• Ask questions
• Consider all options and share views
Effective Committee Meetings –
Members responsibilities
Effective Committees
• Legal document
• Keep accurate records; avoid unnecessary information
• Prepare as soon as possible after meeting
Effective Committee Meetings –
Minutes
Effective Committees
• Title of meeting • Date, time, and location • People present, excused, absent • Corrections to previous meeting minutes • Actions relating to previous meeting • All motions and outcomes of votes • Items to be discussed and decided • Date, time and location of next meeting
Effective Committee Meetings – Minutes Items
Effective Committees
• Details of debates
• Facts of what is said; only include what is done
• Vote count – outcome is enough
Effective Committee Meetings –
NOT to include in Minutes
Effective Committees
Accountability
• Written committee function that describes what the board expects from the committee.
• This should be in line with the overall vision and mission of the institution, measureable outcome and timelines
Effective Committees
Self evaluation/Feedback• Were the issues discussed substantive?
• Were the materials provided helpful in understanding/resolving the issues?
• Was the discussion future oriented?
• How can our next meeting be more productive?
• Based on today's discussion, what should we discuss in the future?
Effective Committees
A committee can be a very effective working force of an organization if the committee has;
Summery
a clear writte
n purpos
e
the commit
tee chair is chosen based
on leaders
hip skills
members are
chosen to align commit
tee needs with
member skills
and interes
t
members are
chosen strategic
ally to develop
new leadership for the organizat
ion
Committee
meetings are
conducted
efficiently
Effective Committees
Breakout Session II
• Form a committee of your choice
• Mention why this committee is needed
• Set the objectives• Set timeline of activities• Identify the required
resources• Make an execution plan
Effective Committees