Committees Archive

The articles below have tons of good information and advice for chairing and managing committees. Whether it's functions or job descriptions or leadership advice, we have you covered. When you're done reading, head over to the Message Boards to connect with other leaders facing the same challenges.

Articles with a plus sign () are available to PTO Today Plus members only.

• 25 Ways To Catch and Keep Volunteers - Tips to lure volunteers in, keep them happy, and avoid the pitfalls that will keep them from coming back.
• A Tool To Manage Volunteers - PTO Manager helps you find and track volunteers, and manage your finances more efficiently.
• Empowering Committee Chairs - A formal orientation for committee leaders puts veterans and newcomers alike on equal footing, and gets everyone on the same page.
• When You Feel Overwhelmed - You don't have to choose between staying involved and staying sane; come back from the edge—and make burnout less likely to happen again.
• From Controversy to Consensus - The way you handle the decisionmaking process can determine whether a difficult issue grows into an acrimonious fight.
• Email Communication Tips - How to use email effectively while avoiding common pitfalls that lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding.
• Chairing a Committee: The Basics - Get organized, get the information you need, find volunteers, and start your committee on a path to success.
• Build Support for New Ideas - When members resist change, reduce the chance of conflict with patience and understanding.
• Procedures Book: Your PTO's Instruction Manual -  Newly revised guidelines on how to create policies and procedures books for your leaders. This tool can make a big difference for your group.
• Good Committee Management - Give your committees a good name by making sure they have a clearly defined purpose, then empowering the members to achieve it.
• Successful Meetings: 14 Tips - Done right, meetings help keep the group cohesive and on track. Done wrong, they can become a time pit and involvement killer.
• Meeting Minutes: Just the Facts - Keeping complete and accurate minutes is an important legal obligation. Here's why certain types of information should—or shouldn't—be included.
• Time: The New Currency for Volunteers - Time is a precious commodity for today's overcommitted families. To get them involved, show them you understand and offer a variety of ways they can participate.
• Recruit Volunteers by Phone - "Can you make a few calls?" may be the single phrase volunteers least like to hear. A simple system can make the task less stressful and more successful.
• Orienting New Members - Help newbies hit the ground running by creating a welcoming atmosphere and giving them the opportunity and information they need to be able to contribute right away.
• Cochair Survival Skills - Working in tandem doesn't have to be difficult. Following a few simple guidelines will help you reap the many benefits of having a partner.
• Figuring Finances for Events - How to build a simple cost model and estimate the start-to-finish finances for your group's new events.
• Robert's Rules: What You Should Know - Robert's Rules do help you run an effective meeting. And you don't have to know a whole book's worth of details—just a few key concepts.
• How To Deal With Difficult People - Whiners, Know-It-Alls, and Steamrollers: Strategies to cope with even the most hard-to-take personalities.
• Change Your Micromanaging Ways - Could you be a micromanager? If so, you're probably limiting involvement in your group. Here's how to lighten your grip without having everything fall apart.
• Three Decisionmaking Methods - These processes for reaching a decision can help parent group leaders get past (or avoid) a stalemate.
• Managing Personality Conflicts - Minimize conflict with insight into how different personality styles work best.
• Responding to Criticism - To deal with criticism effectively, leave your emotions out of the conversation.