Q&A for How to Run a Committee

While running a committee meeting, never dominate the discussion because it will stifle the input of other members and discourage collaboration. You must avoid the points that take you off the agenda, give vent to unfruitful tangents, and thus waste time. Make sure not to forget the importance of setting clear objectives and distributing the agenda beforehand, as it leads to a random, lack-of-focus kind of situation. Don't let the conversation be dominated by one or two other voices, but ensure that there is balanced participation. And lastly, don't forget to follow up on action items, which can erode accountability and momentum.

You can, but it wouldn't be right. If the members of the committee haven't spoken together and agreed to put that person on the committee, there could be tension, resentment, and likely lack of cooperation. It would be better to communicate your intention in advance and give the rest of the committee the opportunity to think on it and discuss their thoughts.

Attendance really shouldn't be a problem if they don't pay, but make sure they know they won't be voting members. If the topics at hand are not that serious, allow for them to be a part of the discussion, but put the standing members above them in speaking preference. Let them know they may or may not get access to materials depending on cost or availability.

No. If you are doing so, then it is not a committee. The purpose of the committee is to discuss a matter and make an informed decision on a collective basis. There may be situations where not all the members agree on a certain item, but you have to have a majority.

Conduct of Committee members should be governed by their direct supervisor. Furthermore, the governing body of the committee should be made aware of conduct that does not reflect the integrity of the organization. Suspicious activity by a committee should be reported to, again, the governing body, or an ethics committee or representative.

This depends on the organization the committee falls under. For a public committee, try a county commissioner; for one inside a business, you'll need to speak with your boss; for a personal committee, you can find templates online to help you draft rules and agendas as well as important ethics guidelines to make it more official.

Yes. It is great to receive input from fellow committee members! Although, I recommend doing this at the end of the meeting while people are asking questions.

Of course! Committees are run by people of lots of different ages. Although, it might be unfit if the committee is made up of adults. If you are running this committee, the questions to be asking yourself should be: Do I have enough time to commit myself to this?

It depends on what kind of committee. If it is one started by a group of people rather then just one, you should have an election. If you started this on your own, or it is a small committee, then you might just want to give out positions.