What is a committee?

A committee is a group of people who take on the responsibility of managing a community group, voluntary organization, charity, trust or social enterprise. Whatever structure an organization or group has, all committees have certain responsibilities in common.

How do committees work?

Committees are normally made up of between three and twelve people, and should meet regularly to make decisions about the direction of the organization or group. It is possible to have more than twelve people on a committee, but the more people you have round the table, the more difficult it can become to reach agreement on decisions. The committee is responsible for making sure that the organization sticks to its aims and objectives as detailed in the Constitution. As committees have overall responsibility for the management of an organizations affairs, committee members can face personal liability should things go wrong. That is why it is important to meet regularly and make sure that the correct information comes to meetings so that committee members can make decisions. To summarize then, being on a committee involves: Having a shared sense of purpose (following aims & objectives) Providing direction and leadership Taking collective responsibility Dealing with compliance issues (e.g. Registered Charities must follow Charity Law requirements) Being accountable to stakeholders (e.g. members, service users, the wider community etc.) All committees need people with a mixture of skills to be able to meet their responsibilities. Many people choose to get involved because they want to give something back to their local community or support a good cause as well as recognising that committee work can bring benefits to the individual. The committee is made up of officers a (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer). The committees role is to manage activities to help the organization realise its aims. They are responsible for putting together the organizations action plan and for making sure that the tasks are carried out.

Role of the Chair

The Chairperson of an organization has three main elements to his/her remit (the area of authority or responsibility of an individual or a group) as follows:

Assisting with the managerial direction of the organization Planning and running meetings

Acting as spokesperson/figurehead

The way that these three areas of responsibility break down into individual tasks will depend a bit on the organization. For example, in small organizations, the committee tends to be responsible not only for setting the direction but also for carrying out much of the work. In these type of organizations, the Chairperson will probably manage things on a day-to-day basis. However, in a larger organization with staff, the Chair's role will be to support the Manager, not to get involved in day-to-day work.

Role of the Treasurer

The Treasurer also has three main areas of responsibility: Keeping an overview of the finances of the organization Reporting into committee meetings Making sure the organization has the right financial policies and procedures in place. Again, the exact duties will vary depending on whether or not the organization employs staff. In addition, if an organization is a Registered Charity or a Company (or both), it will have to comply with specific financial regulations which will have a bearing on the treasurer's role. Good management of finances is vital to the smooth running of the organization. However, it is important to remember that while the Treasurer has a specific role within the committee in relation to money matters, the overall responsibility for financial management lies with the whole committee. Therefore, a key part of the Treasurer's role involves reporting to the committee on finances and it is important that everyone around the table understands the financial information given.

Role of the Secretary

The Secretary's main responsibilities are: Supporting the administration of the organization Facilitating and supporting committee meetings In small, organizations, the Secretary's role is often crucial as he/she will probably have to deal with most of the paperwork. In larger organizations with Company status, the Company Secretary is a formal position with specific legal responsibilities in relation to liaising (duvaa mhNaUna kama krNa) with Companies House. For nearly all organizations, the Secretary also has specific duties in relation to notifying members about Annual General Meetings

Group Decision Making

Group decision making is a type of participatory process in which multiple individuals acting collectively, analyze problems or situations, consider and evaluate alternative courses of action, and select from among the alternatives a solution or solutions. The number of people involved in group decision-making varies greatly, but often ranges from two to seven. Decision-making groups may be relatively informal in nature, or formally designated and charged with a specific goal. The process used to arrive at decisions may be unstructured or structured. The nature and composition of groups, their size, demographic (Demography - maanavaI laaoksaM#yaocaa Saas~Sauw AByaasa) makeup, structure, and purpose, all affect their functioning to some degree. The external contingencies (Akismakta ) faced by groups (time pressure and conflicting goals) impact the development and effectiveness of decision-making groups as well. In organizations many decisions of consequence (inaYp%tI) are made after some form of group decisionmaking process is undertaken.

GROUP DECISION MAKING METHODS

There are many methods or procedures that can be used by groups. Each is designed to improve the decision-making process in some way. Some of the more common group decision-making methods are brainstorming, dialectical inquiry, nominal group technique, and the Delphi technique.

BRAINSTORMING.
Brainstorming involves group members verbally suggesting ideas or alternative courses of action. The "brainstorming session" is usually relatively unstructured. The situation at hand is described in as much detail as necessary so that group members have a complete understanding of the issue or problem. The group leader will record the ideas presented on a flip chart or marker board. The group members are not allowed to evaluate suggestions until all ideas have been presented. Once the ideas of the group members have been exhausted, the group members then begin the process of evaluating the utility of the different suggestions presented. Brainstorming is a useful means by which to generate alternatives, but does not offer much in the way of process for the evaluation of alternatives or the selection of a proposed course of action. One of the difficulties with brainstorming is that despite the prohibition against judging ideas until all group members have had their say, some individuals are hesitant to propose ideas because they fear the judgment being ridiculed (]phasa iTMgala caoYTa) by other group members. In recent years, some decision-making groups have utilized electronic brainstorming, which allows group members to propose alternatives by means of e-mail or another electronic means, such as an online posting board or discussion room. Members could conceivably offer their ideas anonymously, which

should increase the likelihood that individuals will offer unique and creative ideas without fear of the harsh judgment of others.

DIALECTICAL [tk-Sauw rItInao cacaa- k$na sa%yaacaa SaaoQa GaoNyaacaI klaa*yaiu@tvaadSaas~|] INQUIRY
Dialectical inquiry is a group decision-making technique that focuses on ensuring full consideration of alternatives. Essentially, it involves dividing the group into opposing sides, which debate the advantages and disadvantages of proposed solutions or decisions. A similar group decision-making method, devil's advocacy, requires that one member of the group highlight the potential problems with a proposed decision. Both of these techniques are designed to try and make sure that the group considers all possible ramifications (SaaKaopSaaKa AsaNao) of its decision.

NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE

The nominal group technique is a structured decision making process in which group members are required to compose a comprehensive list of their ideas or proposed alternatives in writing. The group members usually record their ideas privately. Once finished, each group member is asked, in turn, to provide one item from their list until all ideas or alternatives have been publicly recorded on a flip chart or marker board. Usually, at this stage of the process verbal exchanges are limited to requests for clarificationno evaluation or criticism of listed ideas is permitted. Once all proposals are listed publicly, the group engages in a discussion of the listed alternatives, which ends in some form of ranking or rating in order of preference. As with brainstorming, the prohibition against criticizing proposals as they are presented is designed to overcome individuals' reluctance (naaKuYaInao) to share their ideas. Empirical (inarIxaNa va p`yaaoga yaavar AaQaarlaolaa) research conducted on group decision making offers some evidence that the nominal group technique succeeds in generating a greater number of decision alternatives that are of relatively high quality.

DELPHI TECHNIQUE
The Delphi technique is a group decision-making process that can be used by decisionmaking groups when the individual members are in different physical locations. The individuals in the Delphi "group" are usually selected because of the specific knowledge or expertise of the problem they possess. In the Delphi technique, each group member is asked to independently provide ideas, input, and/or alternative solutions to the decision problem. These inputs may be provided in a variety of ways, such as e-mail, fax, or online in a discussion room or electronic bulletin board. After each stage in the process, other group members ask questions and alternatives are ranked or rated. After an indefinite number of rounds, the group eventually arrives at a consensus (savaanaumatI) decision on the best course of action.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP DECISION MAKING

Despite the fact that there are many situational factors that affect the functioning of groups, research through the years does offer some general guidance about the relative strengths and weaknesses inherent in group decision making. The following summarizes the major pros and cons of decision making in groups. ADVANTAGES Group decision-making, ideally, takes advantage of the diverse strengths and expertise of its members. By tapping the unique qualities of group members, it is possible that the group can generate a greater number of alternatives that are of higher quality than the individual. If a greater number of higher quality alternatives are generated, then it is likely that the group will eventually reach a superior problem solution than the individual. Group decision-making may also lead to a greater collective understanding of the eventual course of action chosen, since it is possible that many affected by the decision implementation actually had input into the decision. This may promote a sense of "ownership" of the decision, which is likely to contribute to a greater acceptance of the course of action selected. DISADVANTAGES There are many potential disadvantages to group decision-making. Groups are generally slower to arrive at decisions than individuals, so sometimes it is difficult to utilize them in situations where decisions must be made very quickly. In the first place, if the group does not have an agreed upon process for developing and evaluating alternatives, it is possible that an incomplete set of alternatives will be considered and that different courses of action will not be fully explored. Many of the formal decision-making processes (e.g., nominal group technique and brain-storming) are designed, in part, to reduce the potential for groupthink (a tendency within organizations or society to promote or establish the view of the predominant group) by ensuring that group members offer and consider a large number of decision alternatives. Secondly, if a powerful leader dominates the group, other group members may quickly conform (jauLvauNa GaoNao) to the dominant view. Additionally, if the group is under stress and/or time pressure, groupthink may occur. Group polarization is another potential disadvantage of group decision-making. This is the tendency of the group to converge (javaL javaL yaoNa) on more extreme solutions to a problem. The "risky shift" phenomenon is an example of polarization; it occurs when the group decision is a riskier one than any of the group members would have made individually. This may result because individuals in a group sometimes do not

feel as much responsibility and accountability for the actions of the group as they would if they were making the decision alone. Decision-making in groups is a fact of organizational life for many individuals. Because so many individuals spend at least some of their work time in decision-making groups, groups are the subjects of hundreds of research studies each year. Despite this, there is still much to learn about the development and functioning of groups. Research is likely to continue to focus on identifying processes that will make group decision-making more efficient and effective. It is also likely to examine how the internal characteristics of groups and the external contingencies faced by groups affect their functioning.

Organizational Communication
Organizational communication lays the keystone to every organization for upbringing and grooming the environment of that particular organization. It could be categorized in three different categories as follows. Upward communication : It is the communication that occurs in an organization from peer to the managerial level and has formal tone included in it. It can be the feedback of the employee towards the manager about some specific report or task. Downward communication : The communication that takes place from the upper echelon (A level of responsibility or authority in a hierarchy; a rank, )mavaar ivaiSaYT maaMDNaI ) that is from manager towards its employees and can be in the shape of some orders and instructions that are required to be followed. Principles of communication : Communication is based upon following seven principles, These are known as 7 C's of communication. 1- Conciseness: It should be notified that the message should be concise in nature so that it will be easy to catch the readers' attention. 2- Concreteness: Message should be concrete (zaosa) as having all the meanings conveyed in it but should be shorter in length. 3- Clarity: It must give appropriate and explicit meaning that would not diversify and confuse the reader at any instance. By placing prominence and consequences with all the facts and figures.

4- Completeness: Also it is important that the message must have complete meaning that will providing the sufficient information to its reader. 5- Courtesy: Another important feature is that the sender must be emphasizing on the courteous tone and must give some compliments and benefits to its readers. 6- Correctness: The message conveyed must be checked for correctness and should be free from all grammatical errors. 7- Consideration: There must be proper consideration in the message and it should emphasize on you attitude rather than 'I' and 'we' kind of words. Process and components of communication : Here are following components on which communication is preceded in any organization. 1. Context (saMdBa- ): It is the theme that a message must have. 2. Sender : Sender acts as encoder from where the message is sourced. 3. Message : The purpose of context and detail information is provided in this component. 4. Medium : It is the channel from where the message is bypassed and information flows towards receiver. 5. Receiver : It acts as an encoder that understands the message, sent by the sender and where information sinks. 6. Feedback: The final phase where the sender gets its audience and readers response in form of criticism or appreciation. Also effective communication is based upon the knowledge of the 5 W's as When, Who, Where, Why, What? which makes it more complete. This is how communication plays its role in any organization through its vital features and grooms the structure within the organization as well as externally enhancing the repute of the whole organization. By just simply improving these components and considering all the necessary elements, the end result can be a successful and a productive organization.

Management of Change
Change management is a basic skill in which most leaders and managers need to be competent. There are very few working environments where change management is not important. When leaders or managers are planning to manage change, there are five key principles that need to be kept in mind: 1. Different people react differently to change 2. Everyone has fundamental needs that have to be met 3. Change often involves a loss, and people go through the "loss curve" 4. Expectations need to be managed realistically 5. Fears have to be dealt with Here are some tips to apply the above principles when managing change:

Give people information - be open and honest about the facts, but don't give overoptimistic speculation. For large groups, produce a communication strategy that ensures information is disseminated efficiently and comprehensively to everyone (don't let the grapevine take over). Eg: tell everyone at the same time. However, follow this up with individual interviews to produce a personal strategy for dealing with the change. This helps to recognise and deal appropriately with the INDIVIDUAL REACTION to change. Give people choices to make, and be honest about the possible consequences of those choices. Give people time, to express their views. Where the change involves a loss, identify what will or might replace that loss loss is easier to cope with if there is something to replace it. This will help assuage (kmaI krNao ) potential FEARS. Where it is possible to do so, give individuals opportunity to express their concerns and provide reassurances - also to help assuage potential FEARS. Keep observing good management practice, such as making time for informal discussion and feedback.

Where you are embarking on a large change programmes, you should treat it as a project. That means you apply all the rigors of project management to the change process producing plans, allocating resources, appointing a steering board and/or project sponsor etc..

When leaders or managers are planning to manage change, there are five key principles that need to be kept in mind: Principle ONE Different people react differently to change The following diagram represents a spectrum of change: Stability - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change Different people have different preferences for where they like to be on this spectrum. Some people like to be at the STABILITY end of the spectrum - they like things to be the way they have always been. Other people like to be at the CHANGE end of the spectrum - they are always looking for something different and new. Problems arise when the individual's preferences differ from the situation they find themselves in. That is, if: a stability-oriented person finds that circumstances are changing quite rapidly, or a change-oriented person finds that everything is the same and there is nothing new In these situations, the individuals involved can experience: strong dissatisfaction stress negative attitudes towards individuals with preferences at the other end of the spectrum (eg: distrust, dislike) resistance (to change, or to the status quo) (The existing condition or state of affairs) intense emotions loss of rational judgement Principle TWO Everyone has fundamental needs that have to be met A famous psychologist called Will Schutz identified three basic needs that people have in interpersonal relations. These basic needs are also of fundamental importance in people's reaction to change: The need for control The need for inclusion The need for openness

Whilst the need for these can vary between people, in any change process there is always some degree of need for control over one's environment/destiny, some degree of need to be included in the process of forming the change that is taking place, and some degree of need for managers/leaders to be open with their information. If a change programme fails to meet the control, inclusion and openness needs of the individuals affected by it then that programme is likely to encounter a range of negative reactions, ranging from ambivalence (Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow) through resistance to outright opposition. Principle THREE Change often involves a loss The relevance of the "loss curve" to a change management programme depends on the nature and extent of the loss. If someone is promoted to a more senior position, the 'loss' of the former position is rarely an issue because it has been replaced by something better. But if someone is made redundant (Needlessly wordy) with little prospect of getting a new job, there are many losses (income, security, working relationships) that can have a devastating effect. Principle FOUR Expectations need to be managed realistically The relationship between expectations and reality is very important. You can see this in customer relations - if a supplier fails to meet expectations then the customer is unhappy; if the supplier exceeds expectations then the customer is happy. To some extent the same principle applies to staff and change. If their expectations are not met, they are unhappy. If their expectations are exceeded, they are happy. What leaders/managers have to do, however, is make sure they don't pour petrol on the fire by making promises that can not or will not be kept. Expectations have to be set at a realistic level, and then exceeded. Principle FIVE Fears have to be dealt with In times of significant change rational thought goes out of the window. This means that people often fear the worst - in fact, they fear far more than the worst, because their subconscious minds suddenly become illogical and see irrational consequences. Eg: Our company is reducing staff, which means... They will make people redundant, and... I'll be the first to be kicked out, and... I'll have no hope of getting another job, and... I won't be able to pay the mortgage, so...

I'll lose the house, so... My family won't have anywhere to live, and... My wife won't be able to cope, so... She'll leave me, and... I'll be so disgraced the children won't speak to me ever again.

Such fears need to be addressed, eg by helping people to recognise that most people who are made redundant find a better job with better pay and have a huge lump sum in their pocket! Or, where appropriate, by explaining how the reductions in staff numbers are going to be achieved.