Engagement for Committee Chairs: how to harness the energy of your group and create momentum between meetings.
Committee meetings aren’t where the action happens, but they determine what happens next, who does it, and what energy people bring to the work between meetings. These moments where actions are created are the sharp end of the meeting. As a Chair, you create them.
But it’s not always easy. In this article, John Scarrott, Communications Skills Trainer and Coach, and an AAE trainer, shares the small change that can positively affect your approach, and three practical ways to get your group to readily commit to actions.
When a Committee Chair meets reluctance or walks away with more actions than the rest of the group combined, it’s not necessarily a motivation issue. More often, it’s about how they’re engaging the group. And this is about how they ask.
Change how you think about asking
Difficulties with asking are often rooted in what a Chair believes about asking others to contribute. These tend to show up as thoughts that hover between apology and frustration.
- “Sorry to bother you.”
- “I don’t want to burden anyone.”
- “You’re quiet, so you probably don’t want to take something on.”
- “Nobody’s stepping forward, I’ll just do it.”
- “Why aren’t you more interested?”
These thoughts often lead to apologetic or vague asks, or no ask at all. A simple shift is to replace them with more empowering alternatives.
- “My committee members joined because they want to make a difference.”
- “Part of my role is helping them find how they can contribute.”
- “Asking clearly is an act of leadership, not an imposition.”
- “What support would help you take this on?”
- “If I take everything on myself, I’m shutting others o.ut”
What this sounds like in practice is the difference between:
“I’m really sorry to ask, but could anyone possibly…?” and “This is important work. Who would like to take this forward, and what support would you need?”
Three practical ways to engage your group in committing to action
1. Pay attention to what motivates people
Look for clues about what people are already motivated to do. Notice when people lean in. What topics spark energy? When do individuals contribute most freely? You can also ask the Association for any notes from the committee member onboarding. And do your own research, by taking a look at their social channels to spot interests and expertise
2. Use what you find in 1. to make clearer asks
Create momentum by inviting someone to take on an action, in a qualified way:
“Billy, with your experience in sustainability, would this be something you could take on?”
When they say yes, name it clearly:
“Great so that’s Billy taking on the sustainability angle. Who would like to help with putting the presentation together?” When one person steps forward, others are far more likely to follow.
3. Build in an “action amnesty.”
As you close the meeting, check back in on commitments:
“Before we finish, would anyone like to change or adjust what they’ve committed to?” You might also offer yourself as a check-in point between meetings if someone needs support. This normalises realistic commitment and prevents quiet overwhelm.
How associations can support committee chairs
Committee Chairs don’t do this work alone. Associations can make a real difference by supporting their Chairs in the following ways:
1. Sharing onboarding insights
Provide Chairs with committee members’ motivations, interests, and reasons for getting involved. This helps them make more confident, targeted asks from the outset.
2. Offering practical facilitation support
Short, focused training or toolkits on asking for commitment, closing meetings well, and turning discussion into action can have a big impact.
3. Reinforcing shared responsibility
When Associations clearly communicate that committee roles are active roles, chairs feel backed, and members arrive expecting to contribute. Committee meetings aren’t where the action happens. They are where future action is created. You occupy one seat at the table, just like everyone else. The difference is that, as Chair, it’s how you connect, motivate, and mobilise the group that shapes those actions.
Thanks for reading. And happy committee chairing.
John Scarrott is a trainer and coach specialising in the areas of presentations, conference speaking, chairing and facilitation. He offers bespoke training workshops to associations that want to support members to perform well at their events.
John provides in-house training to associations. View the training here.
You can find out more about John at www.johnscarrott.com and at LinkedIn and at [email protected]
