Engaging Your New Committee Members

American Chemical Society

Engaging Your New Committee Members

Bryan BalazsCommittee on Committees (ConC)

2014 Leadership InstituteDallas, Texas

Part of a Committee Chair’s responsibility is to:• Welcome new members• Inform them• Support them• Engage them in discussions• Involve them in activities• Remember: these apply to continuing members, too

ACS Committee Service: New Members Are Volunteers

Welcome & Connect – With new members before their first committee meeting– Host a pre-meeting, either by telecon or in person at the national meeting if feasible,

to inform and answer questions and to ascertain their interest in the committee– Keep in mind that new members may be seasoned ACS committee veterans, or brand

new to the roleIntroduce

– Each new member at the beginning of their first meeting and invite them to share a few words on their background and interests

– This is a good idea for continuing members as wellMentor

– Partner new members with continuing members– Engage new members in conversation at breaks, over meals, etc.

Follow up– After their first committee meeting, addressing any questions or concerns– Realign assignments or partners as necessary

Actions before, during, and after their first meeting are critical

Hosting a “pre-meeting” for New Members• Host a telecon, or (if feasible) have an informal meal or refreshment

event at some point before the full committee meets• Involve Subcommittee Chairs or other committee leadership• Review the committee User Manual, including important historical points• Go over the ACS & committee Strategic Plans• Discuss logistics for the upcoming committee meeting• Discuss the agenda book and actions expected at this meeting• Discuss differences in Full Members vs. Associate Members

– Expectations with serving on an ACS national committee– Voting vs. Non-Voting status– Participation on Subcommittees, Task Forces, and as Liaisons

• And finally, ask if they have any questions or concerns

A committee User Manual is very useful for New Members• A User Manual helps continuing members as well• Does one exist?

– If yes:• How up-to-date is it?• Are modifications needed (updating every 3 to 5 years is a general goal)?

– If no:• Should one be prepared?• Do you want to appoint a task force for the job? Who would lead it?• When would this work begin?• What level of involvement would ACS staff have?• What are your expectations as to the timeframe for completion?

– Think about how you would “socialize” the new version (probably only necessary for new manuals or updates with significant changes)

Outline for aCommittee User Manual• Introduction to the committee’s background

– Original driver for committee formation, and evolution from that point– Historical shifts in focus or responsibilities

• Realignments, new scope, new charters, etc.– Current Mission and Vision statements

• Include linkages to ACS Strategic Plan• Review of committee responsibilities

– Subcommittee structure– Relationships to Technical Divisions and/or Local Sections– Tracked metrics to allow an assessment of committee effectiveness

• Expectations for committee service– Commitment level (meeting attendance, work between meetings)– Travel $$$ (how much burden will the individual have?)– Liaison relationships to other committees

Committee User Manual:

Roles & Responsibilities• How the committee fits into the ACS governance structure• Voting (and differences in this between full committee versus

subcommittee meetings)– Member– Associate Member– Consultant

• Duties & delegations between Committee Chair and Subcommittee Chairs

• Role of Staff Liaison to the committee• Role of ConC Liaison to the committee• Glossary of ACS and committee terms and abbreviations• Updates to the manual and the distribution list

Communicate to all well in advance of national meetings

• Work in advance with your Staff Liaison and ConC Liaison– Your Staff Liaison will likely assist with many items below

• As appropriate, communicate to All Members:– Welcome letter (email, letter, or telephone as appropriate)– Provide early notification of:

• National meeting housing information• Location, time, date of committee meetings (as soon as Meetings &

Expositions sends notices to you and your Staff Liaison)• Agenda book (recommend electronically, but have a Plan B in case this

doesn’t work for some members)• Accommodations for unusual travel schedules (within reason)

– Updated committee User Manual– Plan, if possible, a pre-meeting gathering of New Members

A little Committee psychology is helpful…

• Try to understand the background of your new members– Academic? Industry? Self-employed? Brand new? Seasoned veteran?– Understand what brought them to this committee– Beware of “group think”, and be open to new ideas

• Watch for new members who:– Are unusually quiet?

• Could be just their personality, or it could be that they aren’t up to speed yet– Are overly talkative?

• Could be just their personality, but don’t let them dominate discussions– Come with their own “agenda”, or want to run things their way– Take the conversations in a direction contrary to where you feel the

discussions should go, or that offend others• Remember: Any problems with members, new or continuing, should be

raised with the ConC and Staff Liaisons as needed

Remember that every individual comes with different perspectives

An effective committee is driven in large part by thorough prior planning and organizing by the Chair (that would be you) in conjunction with the ConC and Staff Liaisons

… and remember…

YOU will be the one reporting to Council and in C&EN!

Questions?

“CMS”

Attention, young chemist! The mighty Papa Moai requires

your assistance with a perplexing riddle.

There is no turning back, now! What organization is the source of greatest

personal fulfillment?

Sure, I guess. I’m not bad at

riddles.

Excellent. Then see if you can unravel this enigma of Gordian

complexity that baffles even one such as I.

Oh, that’s an easy one. The answer is

the “ACS”.

Astounding--perfect for the Leadership Institute! Truly, you are a being to

be reckoned with.

Go ahead.


LiaisonsHow to get the best out

of the relationshipsJanet Bryant

Committee on Committees (ConC)

2014 Leadership Institute

Dallas, Texas

American Chemical Society 12

What is a Liaison?• Establishes means of communication between

different groups or committees.• Improves relationships through specific goals and

action items.• Helps eliminate undesirable duplication of efforts.• Provides an efficient means to link efforts for

more productive outcomes.


Types of Liaisons

• Staff• ConC• Committee-to-Committee Liaisons

– Joint Visiting and Information Gathering– Mutual Interest Area Sharing– Collaborative Working Groups– Short-Term


Staff Liaison• Bridge between ACS and committee• Administrator• Communicator• Financial Analyst• Motivator• Adhesive• Finder of common grounds between committees


ConC Liaison• Observer• Recommender• Other duties

– Conducting 5-year Performance Reviews– Recommending continuation, creation, disbanding or

merging of committees– Building pipelines of diverse talent pools– Recruiting members for governance– Training Committee Chairs

ACS National Committees

• Council Committees (Elected)– CPC– N&E– ConC

• Council Committees (Standing)– C&B– DAC– CEPA– LSAC– MAC– M&E

• Council Committees (Other)– Analytical Reagents– Nomenclature, Terminology &

Symbols– Project SEED– Technician Affairs– Ethics

• Board & Council Society Committees– B&F– SOCED

• Board & Council Committees – Chemical Abstracts Service– Chemical Safety– Chemistry & Public Affairs– Chemists with Disabilities– Community Activities– Environmental Improvement– International Activities– Minority Affairs– Patents and Related Matters– Professional Training– Publications – Public Relations & Communications– Science– Senior Chemists– Younger Chemists– Women Chemists

Activity - What liaison(s) do you have?


You are a new committee chair and have inherited liaisons to or from your committee.

Who are these liaisons, which committees they liaise with, and what role do they play for your committee?

Take a few moments and list these.


Committee-to-Committee Liaison

Role: To improve communication and relationship between committees.• Specific goals and action items needed.• Mutually agreed.• Periodically reviewed by both.

Goals: • Access information, ideas, and expertise.• Increase synergistic interactions and/or

collaborative activities.• Decrease overlap of effort.


C-to-C LiaisonJoint Visiting and Information Gathering

• Traditional liaison where a member of one committee visits another committee’s meeting (and may or may not provide reports).

• The liaison interacts with the committee to collect information to be used by the liaison’s committee in committee discussions and actions.

• Information gathering could be provided or requested outside of committee meeting.


C-to-C LiaisonSharing Areas of Interest

• Relation based on specific goals and desired outcomes.

• Liaisons provide pertinent information to committees tackling issues of mutual interest.

• Liaisons’ oral reports should be included in relevant sections of the meeting.


C-to-C LiaisonCollaborative Working Relationship

• Can be generated from shared common goals with other committees.– Joint Sub-committees?

• Assign an interested representative (liaison) to the working group with clear understanding of the desired outcome.

• Make sure that liaison reports back to the committee.• Provide talking points for each meeting to support

discussion.• Rotate coordination between committees.


C-to-C LiaisonShort Term Assignment

• May be useful for special project or anniversary celebration.

• Must define time of interaction and specific outcome.

• Is often effective in subcommittees.• Make sure that final report is presented to

committee.


Identifying the Need for Liaisons• Develop approximately 5 committee goals for the year. • Make the goals known to committee members, including

liaisons.• Use ACS staff liaison (and your knowledge and network)

to identify other committees that can contribute to the goals or share areas of mutual interest.

• Select the type of liaison that best fits the situation.• Find a suitable person within the committee to serve as the

liaison.

• (Optional: Establish a ‘liaison coordinator’ if you have many liaisons.)


C-to-C LiaisonsReminders

• As new chairs of committees you have the unique opportunity to evaluate existing liaisons for your committee.– Their historic purposes?– Effectiveness?– Can the relationships be improved?– Do you need them all, every year?– Do you have all the liaisons that needed?

Activity – Do I need new liaisons?


Work with your staff liaison. Make a list of 1-2 goals that you want to achieve as new committee chair.

Discuss if other committees can help you with these goals.

Discuss if the appointment of liaisons with other committees would be useful to facilitate the accomplishment of the goals.


Liaison Duties (your liaisons to other committees)

• Specific details of the liaison arrangement need to be made with the other Chair.

• Liaisons must know why they are liaisons and what their assignment entails.

• Liaisons should present a useful report and assessment to the parent committee.


Liaison Duties (liaisons from other committees)

• Specific details of the liaison arrangement need to be made with the other Chair.

• Liaisons must know to what extent they are expected to participate in your committee.

• Liaisons from other committees may report to your committee in a variety of ways.

• Liaison reports should be integrated into the agenda, not an after-thought.


Get the Best of the Relationship

• Define expectations/outcomes for each liaison assignment.• Communicate with liaisons before each meeting to articulate

meeting objectives and issues.• Include liaisons in relevant discussions between meetings.• Encourage and incorporate written liaison reports in the

agenda book.• Include oral liaison reports only when these address issues

being considered. Schedule these with related action items or reports.

• Do not cluster liaison reports out of context at the end of the meeting.

• Review existing liaison assignments on an annual basis.


Committee Reports and Reporting Requirements New Committee Chair Training

January 2014


Committees Reports and Reporting Requirements

Committees are grouped into three broad categories when it comes to reporting:• Committees reporting to the Board of

Directors. • Committees reporting to the Council. • Committees reporting to both the Board

of Directors and the Council.


Committees Reporting to the Board (Standing)• Audits • Board of Trustees, Group Insurance Plans for

ACS Members (BOT)• Corporation Associates (CA)• Executive Compensation (CEC)• Governing Board for Publishing (GBP)• Governing Board for ACS Green Chemistry

Institute® (GCI)• Grants and Awards (G&A)


Committees Reporting to the Board (Standing)• Pensions and Investments (P&I)• Petroleum Research Fund Advisory Board (PRF)

– to G&A

• Planning • Professional & Member Relations (P&MR)• Public Affairs & Public Relations (PA&PR)

– PA&PR Subcommittee on National Historic Chemical Landmarks (NHCL)


Committees Reporting to the Council (Elected)

• Committees on Committees (ConC)

• Council Policy (CPC)

• Nominations and Elections (N&E)


Committees Reporting to the Council (Standing)

• Constitution & Bylaws (C&B)

• Divisional Activities (DAC)

• Economic and Professional Affairs (CEPA)

• Local Section Activities (LSAC)

• Membership Affairs (MAC)

• Meetings and Expositions (M&E)


Committees Reporting to the Council (Other) • Analytical Reagents (CAR)

• Ethics (ETHICS)

• Nomenclature, Terminology and Symbols (NTS)

• Project SEED (SEED)

• Technician Affairs (CTA)


Committees Reporting to the Board and Council (Society)

• Budget & Finance (B&F)

• Education (SOCED)


Committees Reporting to the Board and Council (Joint Board-Council)

• Chemical Abstracts Service (CCAS)• Chemical Safety (CCS)• Chemistry and Public Affairs (CCPA)• Chemists with Disabilities (CWD)• Community Activities (CCA)• Environmental Improvement (CEI)• International Activities (IAC)• Minority Affairs (CMA)


Committees Reporting to the Board and Council(Joint Board-Council)

• Patents and Related Matters (CP&RM)• Professional Training (CPT)• Publications (PUBS)• Public Relations and Communications (CPRC)• Science (COMSCI)• Senior Chemists (SCC)• Women Chemists (WCC)• Younger Chemists (YCC)


Drafting Committee Reports Five Types of Committee Reporting Documents: • Committee Written Report for Council Agenda • Committee Oral Report to Council • Committee Written Report to the Board of

Directors• Committee Minutes • C&EN Short Report


Preparing Committee Reports – Written & Oral to the Council

Key Documents:• CPC Policy on Reports to Council• Guidelines for Visual Presentations to

Council • Committee Reports and Reporting

Checklist


Committee Report – Council Meetings How often do committees report to the Council?

Per ACS Bylaws:• Elected, Standing, and Society committees

report orally and in writing at each meeting of the Council.

• Other and Joint Board Council committees are expected to report at least once a year. – “Oral reports are presented at meetings of Council by… committees who have

submitted written reports that are included in the Council agenda.”

CPC Policy on Reports to ACS Council


Preparing Written Committee Reports for the Council Written reports:• are part of the “printed” or “official” records of the

Council meetings as described in the bylaws• describe major initiatives and/or accomplishments

since the last report and their impact on the Society • are no more than two single-spaced pages, with

topic headings where appropriate • direct Councilors to sources of additional

information such as websites, when appropriate


Preparing Oral Committee Reports for Council Meetings Oral reports:• Highlight major accomplishments that

have occurred since the last written report was prepared. They may describe future activities when those activities could significantly impact the membership and /or Society operations.


Preparing Oral Committee Reports for Council Meetings Oral reports:• Must be less than three minutes in duration

and less than 450 words in length unless specifically approved by CPC.

• Should not convey information that is available elsewhere or chronicle committee activities. Personal references and tributes to individuals are not appropriate.


Preparing Oral Committee Reports for Council Meetings Oral reports: • Are presented at meetings of the Council

by committees which have submitted written reports that are included in the Council agenda. Additional oral reports may be authorized by CPC when appropriate for Council action.


Preparing Oral Committee Reports for Council Meetings Oral reports: • Should include visual aids that

summarize the major points of the report and reduce presentation time.

• Are provided to the Secretary of CPC with any visual aids in electronic format no later than the afternoon before CPC meetings.


Guidelines for Visual Presentations to Council • Visuals are required to be in the form of PowerPoint

presentations using the ACS template in horizontal landscape.

• Titles should be large (36-40 point); the body copy should be 24 point or greater. If you cannot read your presentation on a laptop screen from 10 feet away, it will not be legible to the audience.

• Use key words to help audience focus; avoid complete sentences.

• See “Guidelines for Visual Presentations to Council” for additional information.


Committee Reports

After the Council Meeting:• Committee reports are posted on

acs.org/council • Shortened versions of the reports

are printed in C&EN as information for the Society membership.


Committee Reporting – Board of Directors How often do committees report to the Board of Directors?• Society Committees and some Standing

Committees (G&A, P&MR, PA&PR) report at each meeting in writing, and orally when there is a request for Board action.

• Other Standing Committees and Joint Board-Council Committees report in writing at least once per year, and orally when there is a request for Board action.


Committee Minutes

• Permanent record of what occurred at the meeting

• Potential legal significance• In some states, they are required for boards

and some committees • Per ACS bylaws the Standing Committees

(MAC, M&E, C&B, LSAC, DAC, CEPA) must elect a secretary


Committee Minutes

What Purpose Do Minutes Serve?• “to transcribe into permanent and official form the

actions at a board [committee]” [“The Law of Associations”]

• Prove that a meeting was valid• Admissible in court as evidence of what action

was taken: Burden is on the person attacking accuracy of minutes in legal proceeding


Committee Minutes

What is the procedure?• Standard practice among nonprofits: prepare

minutes after meeting and have approved at subsequent meeting … but it’s not required.

• Approving minutes isn’t same as approving actions… it merely says that the minutes were an appropriate record of the meeting.


Committee Minutes - Types

• Some minutes are very short, reflecting only adopted motions– Brief and legal– Lack of usefulness as record

• Some are almost verbatim transcripts– Help as historical record – Certain details are helpful legally (due process)– Can be mischaracterized in legal action


Committee Minutes – Compromise • Intermediate approach

– summary of issues discussed– summary of actions taken – not a record of who said what – attach (and cite) formal/lengthy documents – use agenda as basis for headings – keep the form the same each time – include self-serving legal statements


Committee Minutes – Include • Date, time and place of meeting• Whether meeting is special or regular • Names of attendees• Whether quorum was present • Departures and reentries of attendees • Actions taken• If requested, who voted “no” or abstained• Brief summary of reports (or reference attached reports)


C&EN Short Report - Description

• Condensed committee report of key actions and discussions that occurred at the meeting

• Key information for the Society membership

• Generally 250 words in length• Due ~ 10 days after the national meeting


Committee Report Summary

• Remember to report at one of the two Council meetings per year.

• Avoid repeating information in the oral report that has already appeared in the written report.

• Refer to the Committee Reports and Reporting Checklist when preparing the report

• Remember minutes have potential legal significance.



Reminder:

Your staff liaison is trained on how to prepare committee reports and can either prepare a draft for you, or aid you or the secretary of the committee in preparing a draft.



Discussion/Questions?


Committee Budgets

Flint H. LewisStaff Liaison, ConC

ACS Secretary and General CounselJanuary 24, 2014


Committee Budgets:Responsibilities for Budgeting

• Budget & Finance (B&F)• ACS Treasurer’s Office• ACS Division Director• Staff Liaison• Committee Chairs


Committee Budgets:Background

• ACS Board Chair initiated a committee budget review in 2010.

• B&F Subcommittee on Committee Budgets established in 2011.– Reviewed current process for budgeting and accountability for

committee budgets.– Identified ways to increase transparency.– Encouraged judicious fiscal behavior.– Discussed enhancements/improvements to the budget

process.


Committee Budgets:B&F Subcommittee Review & Observations

• Reviewed three-year financial trend data (2008-2010) for 54 governance budgets.– Requested additional information on 14 governance budgets.

• Travel and professional services account for more than 75% of total committee expenses.

• Historically, committee budgets have provided for full capacity, rather than a most-likely scenario, leading to sizeable favorable variances.– Reductions made in the probable projections as actual events unfold.

• Committee Chairs weren’t always included in the budgeting process.


Committee Budgets:B&F Subcommittee Recommendations

• Committee budget discussions include explanations of budget assumptions.

• Travel and professional services accounts should be zero-based.– Use of virtual meetings encouraged to control costs.

• Staff liaisons will consult the Committee Chair during the budget preparation process.


Committee Budgets:B&F Subcommittee Recommendations

• Staff liaisons will include the committee’s final approved budget in each agenda book.

• A summary, by committee, of Governance Net Expenses will be included in the B&F and Board of Directors budget books.

• Finance staff will provide training to new staff liaisons regarding Committee budgeting procedures and guidelines.


Budgetary Needs• Vary by committee mission, charter

– Travel and professional services.– Oversight responsibilities.– Products of committee work.

• Special projects of the committee• Program Budgets

– Administered by staff unit.– Budget is not under the purview of the committee.


Committee Budgets:Travel Reimbursement

• All costs for travel reimbursement for committee meetings held at National Meetings will be budgeted by the Secretary’s Office.– COUNCILORS TRAVEL EXPENSE PROGRAM– NON-COUNCILORS TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT

• Committee budgets should include travel reimbursement only for committee meetings held outside of National Meetings (zero-based).


Non-Councilor Reimbursement Policy

• Partially conforms to the already established Councilor Travel Expense Program.

• Support non-Councilor attendance at committee meetings and participation in Society governance during national meetings.

• Provide financial support for:– Ordinary and necessary transportation– Lodging– Meal expenses



Committees covered:

Other Committees of Council• Analytical Reagents• Ethics• Project SEED• Technician Affairs



Committees covered:

Joint Board-Council• Chemical Abstracts Service• Chemical Safety• Chemistry and Public Affairs• Community Activities• Environmental Improvement• International Activities• Minority Affairs

• Patents & Related Matters• Publications• Public Relations &

Communications• Science• Senior Chemists• Women Chemists



Council Standing• Constitution and Bylaws• Divisional Activities• Economic and Professional Affairs• Local Section Activities• Meetings and Expositions• Membership Affairs

Committees unaffected (Councilors only):

Council Elected• Committees• Council Policy• Nominations and Elections



Committees currently budgeting for reimbursement of non-Councilors at levels other than policy:• Budget and Finance• Chemists with Disabilities• Education• Nomenclature, Terminology and Symbols• Professional Training• Younger Chemists



•Submitting a request for support.

• Filing of the completed ACS travel expense reimbursement voucher.

• Staff liaison

• Secretary’s office


Members, Associates, Consultants, and ConC Liaisons who are

COUNCILORS

Members, Associates, and Consultants who

are NON-COUNCILORS

ACS National Meetings Transportation Yes YesLodging and Meals Committee and Subcommittee Sessions

Yes Yes

Remainder of National Meeting

Yes No

National Meeting Registration Fee

Yes Yes

Council Meeting Yes No

Elsewhere Transportation Yes YesLodging and Meals Yes YesMaximum allowable Reimbursement

Spring - $1101.14Fall- $1101.14

Yearly Total - $2202.28

Spring - $550.57Fall- $550.57

Yearly Total- $1101.14


Society Program Portfolio Management (SPPM)

76American Chemical Society

Robert's Rules of Order

Flint H. Lewis ConC Staff Liaison

ACS SecretaryNew Chairs Training January 24-26, 2014


ACS Committees: The Big Picture

• ACS governed by the Board and Council• Board’s charge: “shall have, hold, and

administer all the property, funds, and affairs of the Society” [Const. Art. VIII]

• Council: “the popular deliberative assembly” [Const. Art. VII] – a forum for member issues – specific duties re: elections, dues, amending governing documents


Why Care About Structure?

• “Committees help boards to be more efficient, more active, and more knowledgeable and to distribute work evenly among members…Organizations with an effective committee structure are more likely to have satisfied board members who feel they are making tangible and meaningful contributions…” [“Nonprofit Board Committees” E. Hirzy]


Committee, Defined

• “…a body of one or more persons, elected or appointed by an assembly or society, to consider, investigate, or take action on certain matters or subjects, or to do all of these things.” [Roberts Rules]


Role of Committees

• “A board of directors normally conducts its business through a well-organized committee structure that partitions the work of the board and allows directors to make maximum use of their expertise. It is a matter of time and efficiency as well as expertise.” [“Corporate Governance” p.44]


Committee Authority

• Committee authority isn’t unlimited…

• …Be sure your committee has authority to consider/act upon specific issues

• Limitations on a committee’s ability to act:– Bylaws– Duties in Bulletin V– Resolution creating committee

Why Should I Care About Robert’s Rules?

• Leadership

• Fairness

• Efficiency


Henry M. Robert (1837–1923) & His Rules

– What do I do now!?

– Adapted from rules of Congress

– Purpose? Allow majority to effectively work its will …

– …with due respect for rights of strong minorities

– Universally accepted rules of procedure83American Chemical Society

Know the Basics

– Basics:• How motions are made• How votes are taken• Know the sequence for consideration

– Why the basics?• ACS operates on consensus……and prefers

informal procedures• Strict application perceived negatively


Sequence for Consideration


– Motion made

– Second

– State the motion

– Debate

– Vote

– Announce the vote

– Motion made

– Second

– State the motion

– Debate

– Vote

– Announce the vote

Mover controls

Committee controls

Amendments

– Amendment = secondary motion

– Follow the sequence for consideration

– Deal with amendment first, then the underlying motion

– If you approve an amendment: also vote on the underlying motion as amended (i.e. 2 votes are needed to adopt the motion as amended)


Special Rules for Committees


• “…motions to close or limit debate are not allowed in committees.” [p. 483]

• Informal discussion of a subject is permitted while no motion is pending [p. 470]

• Members are not required to obtain the floor before making motions or speaking [p. 470]

Chair’s Role in Committees

• Roberts: Chair “not only has the right to make and debate motions, but he is usually the most active participant in the discussion and work of the committee” [p. 483]

• ACS Practice: Chairs vote, but exercise caution in expressing strong views or speaking too often.


Mistake? −Motion to Reconsider

• Characteristics

– Timing (any time in committees)

– Who can move?– Must be seconded– Debatable (if…)– Effect of adoption

(back to square one)


• Purpose

– “correction of hasty, ill-advised, or erroneous action”

– New info/changed circumstances

Questions?
