What Works for Us...

Grinding through Toastmasters business – or for that matter, any kind of business – often requires the collective efforts and brainpower of a committee. Unfortunately, trying to benefit from committee work can be a nightmare. Dysfunctional committees invariably produce poor and sometimes untimely work, animosity between members and disharmony in the organization.

So how do you build a committee that works effectively as a team?
Know Your Common GoalThe difference between a group and a team is that a group is a collection of individuals, while a team is bound by a common goal. All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams. So the first step is identifying a goal.

Committee composition is also important. Assigning people to a committee simply because they aren’t busy enough is a bad idea. Members need to have the desire to achieve the task, plus the knowledge, skills and abilities to get it done. In addition, they should want to be part of a team. Some people can contribute better by working alone. Use your organization’s people for their strengths.

Your team will strive toward mutually agreed upon outcomes. So as soon as the organization assigns goals to the committee leader, ensure they are communicated to the team and then agreed on.

Make the Process Productive
There’s a predictable process for committees or teams whose members don’t really know each other. Understanding it can save time, eliminate squabbling and promote productivity and harmony.

1. Forming. The committee meets, outlines goals and processes, and begins building friendships while working through potential problems with the structure and leadership.
2. Storming. An inevitable period of turmoil. Questions arise about leadership, accountability and the goals. Members are uncomfortable as they learn that some can’t be counted on, or the reverse – members try to do everything themselves.
3. Norming. The team reaches an agreement on goals, committee form and format. This period is characterized by cooperation, mutual support and accord. Group norms are developed that allow the team to compensate for the weaknesses of individual members.
4. Performing. This is a period of accomplishment, achievement, productivity and pride as the committee works together and reaches its goals.
5. Adjourning. The committee members address their mixed feelings of accomplishment and loss as the team achieves its goals. Success means, ultimately, that the team members must go their separate ways.

Tips for Leading Effective Committees A leader’s role in a committee has a huge impact on the team’s work. A leader who monopolizes discussions and demeans others’ opinions won’t receive the benefit of the others’ thoughts. It’s far better to encourage input, delay criticism and create an environment that nurtures open expression.

To promote dialogue and effective committee work:

• Encourage all members to participate and contribute. Later, this will ensure that everyone buys in to the common goal.
• Make the process of generating ideas and evaluating them distinct from each other. Too often, a committee member will put an idea on the table only to have it shot down immediately, which discourages and stifles the creativity of other members. Divide the two processes into distinct sessions.
• Don’t respond to each participant or dominate the ongoing discussions. A chairperson’s responsibility is to elicit ideas, not supply them.
• Look forward, not backward. Permitting too much complaining about how “We can’t do this because last time ...” means you can’t accomplish the committee’s goals at all.

Love them or hate them, committees are a reality in civic organizations and the workplace. When they’re called for, committees are valuable. It’s up to team members and their chairperson to use the process most efficiently, keeping the interest of the organization and the participants in mind. If the leaders understand how to get committee members to buy into the five-step cycle, they are well on their way to achieving even the most challenging of goals.

This is a condensed version of Ron Gossen’s article that appeared in the February 2010 issue of the Toastmaster magazine.





Toastmasters International - What Works for Us...