Committee ....

[weecalf]

Are any of the abers members of a committees. Do you agree that members who actually want things done are no good on committees ..I would think committees are for talking and doing nothing .Some one joins and wants to get things done ...not committee material .Good ideas should be given an airing then ignored. Anyone got good examples of this happening.

[MarkRae]

> Are any of the abers members of a committees.

I'm a member of several committees.


> Do you agree that members who actually want things done are no good on committees?

No. Precisely the opposite!


> I would think committees are for talking and doing nothing

I completely disagree with that.

[Wharton]

The camel was designed by a committee.

[weecalf]

Committee maybe originally designed to do things but get the right people on that committe and its possible for nothing to be done over long periods of time .I was on them ,watching and listening to the avoidence of actual activity is brilliant .

[boxtops]

Yes, I'm a member of several committees in voluntary organisations - I agree that some committees are just talking shops but ours certainly aren't - the organisations which we represent wouldn't be properly run without an effective committee. We go out there and make things happen for our organisations.

[weecalf]

Our chairman had to chastise a youngish person for having to many ideas for a first visit ,thankfully did not offer any so called good ideas for months after that.

[RATTER15]

I was only ever on one committee, (not really my scene) it was an excellent committee, we achieved a lot.

[naomi24]

Yes, but I agree with Wharton. Very often a committee is a body that sets out to design a horse and ends up designing a camel.

[MarkRae]

I would have no interest in being on any committee which didn't actually do anything. Several years ago I agreed to be on a local committee and, on my first visit, asked for a copy of the minutes of the previous meeting. They all looked blankly back, so I promptly turned round and left.

[Hopkirk]

I would answer this question, but I need to get discuss what I am going to say awith the committee first.

[boxtops]

There's a big difference between voluntary/social committees, too, and those at work. No meeting should be without minutes and an agenda - it's something I too insist on now which didn't happen before. We have to know a) what we are meeting FOR and b) who's taking which actions before the next meeting. Wofflers don't get to stay.

[weecalf]

Fraid I never was on committee that actually did much .A heron was raiding all the outside ponds and stealing the fish .Summit had to be done about it so a meeting was arranged elected officers set up to deal with it .Not sure exactly but with in a short time maybe six to eight weeks there as not a fish with in a twenty mile radius because of the heron ..Meetings were hastily arranged ,debate took place but nowt was done .

[FredPuli43]

Let's face it. The camel example is not valid. A camel is perfectly designed for what it does and where it does it, with no waste at all in its design or making.That's how we know the camel wasn't designed by a committee.

A man who became CEO of Avis had the right idea. On his first day, he couldn't find anyone. He was told they were all in committee meetings. That night, he told the janitor to lock all the committee rooms and bring him the keys. Next morning there were complaints from the committee members. He went down and said to them " One of you can make the decision. If he nobody can, then none of you should be executives"

I'm on a Parish Council. It is woolly and indecisive a lot of the time, but its main fault is that it spends two hours on decisions which would take one man or woman reviewing the evidence 10 minutes. The best tactic is to get everything delegated for one person, or at worst, a sub-committee of three, to decide and act. That works better; it saves the whole council faffing about and they are never going to go against the person they chose as delegatee.

[Zacs-Master]

I'm on a village based committee of around 18 people which raises money fit local charities. Over 4 years we've raise around £40k we couldn't have done this without a 'can do' attitude and lots of hard work, so I can't relate to your question in any way.

[Zacs-Master]

It's really the chairmans job to stop any prolonged debates and put the alternative ides to a vote. If nothing is being decided I would suggest you have a weak chair who needs replacing. It's not a position for those afraid of upsetting people. I know, I've done it.

[weecalf]

a lot of people on these com .are asked to come along not for their intelligence but because the people want to know what they are thinking I was asked on the first night by chairman what they should do about the heron .I said I did not have a clue .Chairman says "Sit down weecalf your okay just the sorta guy we need "

[Zacs-Master]

Like I said, I would suggest you have a weak chair who needs replacing.

[tenrec]

I agree a good chairperson is vital.

[spotit3]

I have been on a charity group committee for several years. I can assure you we get through a lot of work each month, planning speakers, outings etc for members benefit. The group couldn't run without the committee and as previously stated a good chairperson is vital.