Enhancing Committee Effectiveness: Handbook for Committee Chairs, Staff Liaisons, and Committee Members

Effective, successful associations know that they need to minimize bureaucracy, improve decision making, and use their financial and human resources more strategically to adapt, survive, and thrive in a world that moves and changes faster every day. One way to accomplish these goals is to improve committees. Committees gather intelligence, process information, provide recommendations, and complete assignments; in other words, they are how the business of an association gets done. This second edition of Enhancing Committee Effectiveness enables committees to be more nimble, accountable, and competitive by providing

Clear definitions of different types of committees

The nuts and bolts of establishing and administering a committee

Checklists and role descriptions for effective committee chairs and staff liaisons

Tips for participating as a member of a committee

Task lists for running meetings, communicating results, and following up on commitments

Sample forms and agreements.

With these practical tools, Enhancing Committee Effectiveness delivers actionable advice that s easy to digest and apply; ultimately enhancing the success of committees and the associations they serve.

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners representing more than 11,000 organizations. ASAE members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. ASAE is the preeminent source of knowledge, learning, community, and advocacy for the field of association management. ASAE s publishing imprint, Association Management Press, reflects the ASAE mission by publishing relevant, reliable content focusing on helping professionals tackle their organizational leadership and management challenges.

John F. Schlegel, PharmD, MSEd, CAE, is president of Schlegel & Associates, a consulting and training firm that helps association boards, volunteer leaders, and staff improve leadership and governance to achieve high performance. In his 17 years as an association executive, he served as CEO for three major national associations, including the now American Pharmacists Association. He holds BS and doctoral degrees in pharmacy, a fellowship in medical education, a master s degree in higher education, and two honorary doctorates in science. He has written more than 100 articles; delivered hundreds of presentations on a wide array of topics in association management, health care, and public policy; and served on more than 30 governing boards.