Priorities of an organization are forever adapting. Yet through the constant change, committees and compositions remain, for the most part, unchanged. The problem with this is that the most significant aspects of organizations are being overlooked: The members. How can we best review committee composition to ensure that we are maintaining efficiency year by year?
Resetting or reviewing committees on an annual basis helps organizations fulfill obligations by making sure they have the human resources necessary to perform. The following steps can be taken by a president to refine committee composition and strengthen the organization:
Step One: Take Record of Your Volunteers
Reach out to current volunteers to better understand their skill sets and talents, and to understand how their strengths can be utilized by the organization. This helps to make sure that no credentials are being overlooked, and that any shortcomings or lack of experience in a board can be corrected by finding new volunteers.
Step Two: Map out priorities and needs
After taking inventory of your volunteers, it’s time to identify the priorities of your organization. What are the committee’s core competencies? What will it take to meet priorities? Are you able to match priorities with a current committee? After reviewing this step, you will have a better understanding of how strong of a composition you have and what steps to take next in pairing assignments with members.
3. Have purpose statements
Purpose statements are mission statements that describe the organization’s vision in an easy, role-off-the-tongue manner. Purpose statements should energize committees and offer a reason why the committee exists and how the organization plans to commit to members. It’s important to introduce new or existing members to purpose statements to keep them moving forward as well as motivating them to continue to offer their strengths in building towards an organization’s visions.
Committees are the most valuable asset to organizations, so it’s important that each year they are reviewed to improve efficiency. Taking care to review committee composition is to breathe life into the organization, and will maintain a standard of excellence when done regularly.
