Seven Simple Ways to Create Committees People Would Like to Serve On
Have you ever left a meeting and felt like you just wasted your time? The investment of your time had no real impact? Your resources created no real momentum or forward movement? Have you ever removed yourself from a committee or team for these reasons? If you are a part of church life, it is likely you’ve had some sort of experience with this dilemma.
But, it doesn’t have to be this way! Just because we’ve always done it a particular way doesn’t mean it is the best way today or that it can’t be changed. We just have to be courageous enough to speak up and help make a positive change towards more productive, efficient, and impactful meetings.
Having the desire for change is the first step. Knowing how to make the needed changes is the second step. In working with churches across the country, I find there are common obstacles that prevent productive meetings. Here are seven simple ways to reimagine meetings so they become more productive, impactful, and efficient:
AGENDA - Creating an agenda with minutes, financials, old business, and new business is not helpful. The chair or leader must invest the time to create a clear, concise agenda with specific items, assignments, and time limits. Creating an agenda with specifics ahead of time serves as a gatekeeper for keeping items and discussions off the agenda that are not appropriate.
PREPARE - Items for review, discussion, and decision-making need to be sent out with the agenda about a week before the meeting. This practice allows the team members to read, review, and process ahead of time. They come prepared to discuss and make decisions. This often prevents members needing more time to process and delay decisions.
CONSENT - Place routine items on a consent calendar/agenda (i.e., reports, minutes, financials). This allows one vote to approve multiple items at one time. There is generally no discussion as members have had time to review the items previously. Items can be pulled off the consent calendar through an approved process if further discussion or action is needed.
FOCUS - Efficient teams know their lane and stay out of other teams/committee’s lanes. For example, leadership boards often veer into management lanes when their area of responsibility is governance. Members hold one another accountable for lane departures and correction.
COVENANT - Impactful teams/committees create a leadership covenant. The covenant entails how the team agrees to do their work together, expectations of one another, and the behavior and commitments they have of each team member. A new leadership covenant is created each year or whenever there is a change in team members. Each member physically signs the covenant to indicate their commitment and agreement.
PERMISSION - Leaders create a culture of permission-giving and then hold one another accountable for the duties and responsibilities delegated and permissions granted. Expectations are made clear through job descriptions for staff, team leaders, and team members. Training is provided as deemed appropriate so people are empowered with clear expectations and trust. Guiding principles are created by leadership boards for operational guidance and permission for day-to-day operations. Micro-management is not practiced nor tolerated at any level.
COMMUNICATION - A wrap up at the end of the meeting is essential. What decisions were made? What is the team’s common messaging about the decision? Who needs to know about the decision? Who is the message carrier? When does the message or decision need to be communicated? What is the mode of communication to be used? This simple wrap-up ensures everyone is on the same page and decisions and next steps move forward without hesitation.
It is not that people are unwilling to serve on teams and committees. They just want to serve in ways that make a difference. People’s time is one of their most precious assets. Respect their time and desire to make an impact. Implement the seven strategies above and see the difference!
If your leaders are looking for more resources and tools for creating more efficient and impactful meetings, check out these new resources:
