Developing Strong Committees

Developing active and strong committees will make your job easier in many ways!

• Expand your volunteer pool and groom new people for future board roles.
• Have each committee assume ownership of its respective section of the STAR report.
• Have committee members develop goals for the committee to achieve in the upcoming year.
• Focus on member needs and provide pertinent value-added programs and services.
• Have volunteers review the chapter position descriptions, and have them acknowledge their responsibilities and commit to fulfilling them. Clearly communicate the purpose and mission of each committee to your volunteers.
• Get your volunteers to recruit other chapter members to serve on their committee.
• Reduce board members' workload as much as you can. Try to make their assignment more enjoyable by arranging for them to work with others.
• Encourage each committee chair to conduct committee meetings and to update the board at every board meeting.
• Have each committee develop future leadership and help plan for board member succession.
• Encourage all committee chairs and board volunteers to bring new ideas to board meetings.
• Above all…don't forget to Recognize! Recognize! Recognize!
• Report on committee activity at all board meetings.
• A committee needs more than one person to function successfully.
• RMA recommends you have a co-chair or vice chair to ensure succession. The chair will, in essence, train his or her successor.
• Committee members need not be Board members. New volunteers can be included.
• Recruit additional volunteers to committees by reviewing the attendance lists of the general membership meetings and inviting someone who regularly attends events and expresses an interest in the RMA mission.
• Ask board members, Senior Associates, and other appropriate individuals to identify coworkers who can add value to committees.
• Encourage new board members to serve on a committee of their choice.
  

For more information and for additional resources, please contact William Githens at bgithens@rmahq.org or 215-446-4124 or contact the Regional Manager for your area.