The committee has discussed the same issue three times. Everyone agrees something should change. No one is sure who is drafting the proposal, what the group can decide, or when the work should be finished.
The handbook links committee participation and leadership to shared institutional work. A useful contribution can be making the task clearer, whether or not you hold the chair's title.
Clarify the charge and authority
What is the group expected to produce, and who makes the relevant decision? A recommendation, an implementation plan, and an approval are different tasks. Ask for the applicable charge or process before designing work around an assumption.
Understanding the boundary can prevent a group from solving a problem it wasn't asked or authorized to handle.
Turn the broad goal into deliverables
Identify the document, event, review, or other output needed. Break it into manageable pieces with responsible people and realistic dates. Include the information and consultation the group needs to do the work well.
A task should be specific enough that someone can tell when it is ready for review.
Use different expertise respectfully
Invite relevant perspectives and explain what input is needed. Make the reasoning visible so the group can assess alternatives. A member who raises a difficult question may be identifying a real implementation problem.
Leadership can involve helping the group examine that issue rather than pushing toward agreement before it's understood.
Communicate changes early
If a deadline or responsibility becomes unworkable, say so and discuss an adjustment. Don't leave colleagues to discover the missing work at the next meeting. Clarify revised expectations and keep the task record current.
Reliable communication is part of the contribution.
Close the work and hand it on
Confirm what was completed, which decision or approval remains, and who receives the output. Keep an appropriate record of the group's work and your role. Respect any restrictions on materials and discussions.
At your next committee meeting, identify one action that currently has no clear owner or completion point. Ask the group to define it. That small clarification may help more than adding another general discussion to the next agenda.
Adapted from The New Faculty Handbook by Zafer Unal, pp. 188-189.
