It’s been said that a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours – so how do NAPA-Net readers deal with difficult committees (and committee members)?
This week’s respondents worked with a variety of plan sizes, and committee structures also ran the gamut; from plans that had separate plan and investment committees, to a combined plan and investment committee to a really combined setup, where there was a single decision-maker. Most (two-thirds) of this week’s respondents recommended the separate committees, though there was support for the combined approach as well.
There was also diversity in committee size — while 6-10 was most common, one reader noted that “I do recommend an odd number...3, 5, 7...to eliminate a tie vote.” Committee composition was also varied, split almost equally between those made up exclusively of internal staff versus primarily internal, and some mostly external. Tenure was varied as well, though 3-5 years seemed to be the most common experience.
Committee members got to be committee members in a variety of ways as well, though selection by other committee members and by board members were the dominant paths. By virtue of title/position, and peer appointment were also cited.
As for dealing with “trouble,” readers had a couple of comments: “First, hear them out, then try to coach them privately regarding their issues. We use rules of order for meetings, and time limits for each discussion point; this helps with the member that wants to control the discussion.”
Another respondent shared their experience with, “A large plan was ruled by one very vocal person, until I introduced structure and order for the meetings; from the first meeting, he became quieter, and eventually left the committee. He had been able to control the committee because they thought he knew everything; it became apparent to everyone, including him, that his knowledge was limited, so he chose to resign.”
But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who explained that, “We just tolerate them until their term is over.”
Thanks to everyone who participated in our weekly reader poll! Got something else to say? Use the comments section below, or (anonymously) online at https://www.research.net/r/KPYNY9J.
Got a suggestion for our reader poll? Something you’d like to run by NAPA-Net readers? Email me at [email protected].
