How Can A Committee Be Used Successfully?

It is difficult to create a truly efficient committee, but the following factors will help to foster efficiency:

1. Well –defined areas of authority time scales of operation and purpose must be specified in writing.

2. The chairman must have the qualities of leadership to co-ordinate and motivate the other committee members.

3. The committee should not be so large as to be unmanageable.

4. The members of the committee must have the necessary skills and experience to do the committee's work. Where the committee is expected to liaise with functional departments, the members must also have sufficient status and influence with those departments.

5. Minutes of the meetings should be taken and circulated, with any action points arising out of the meetings notified to the members responsible for doing the work.

6. Above all, an efficient committee must provide benefits, which justify its cost.

7. Finally, if at all possible, the committee should be allowed plenty of time to reach decision, enabling members to form sub-groups.
How ever a committee may be misused for a number of 'wrong' purpose.
To replace managers: A committee cannot do all the tasks of management (e.g. leadership) and therefore cannot replace manager's entirely.