Ep 8 Many Hands Make Light Work

Show Notes Committee overload is one of the most common problems in volunteer organisations — and the answer isn't working harder, it's building smarter structures. Portfolios, subcommittees and working groups are three tools that every committee can use to share the workload, draw on skills from across the membership and free up committee meetings for the governance conversations that actually matter. This episode covers all three: what they are, how they work, and critically, where the boundaries are. In This Episode Portfolios: giving every committee member a specific area of strategic ownership — and why it puts an end to seat warmers and passengers What portfolios should cover and how to match them to the skills already around the table Subcommittees: formal, ongoing groups that do the detailed work between meetings — and who can sit on them The governance principle that's critical but often misunderstood: delegation, not abdication Terms of reference: what they must cover and why defining what's NOT delegated matters just as much as defining what is Subcommittees as a talent pipeline — and what to do when someone turns out to be a nightmare to work with Working groups: the flexible, time-limited tool for specific tasks — and why they attract people who'd never join a subcommittee How to mine your membership for hidden gems — accountants, lawyers, marketers and IT specialists hiding in plain sight, waiting to be asked Free Download A terms of reference template is in the show notes. You'll be able to download it and use it as your starting point. This Week's Challenge Look at your current committee. Does every member have a portfolio? Are your subcommittees working from clear and up-to-date terms of reference? When did you last think about a working group for a specific task? Pick the gap that matters most right now and close it. The terms of reference template in the show notes is a good place to start. And if you haven't yet surveyed your membership for hidden gems — that's a worthwhile afternoon's work right there. Got a Question for the Kates? If you've got a governance question you'd like the Kates to tackle on the show, or a situation you're not sure how to handle, use the contact form at thecommitteeroom.com.au. No question is too basic — if you're wondering about it, someone else is too. About Your Hosts Kate Hartwig has spent forty years working in and around not-for-profit and membership organisations — as a CEO, director, and independent consultant. Her Committee Companion is a head start on good governance with checklists, frameworks and exemplars for committee members. katehartwig.com.au Kate McPhee has three decades of hands-on experience helping small clubs and associations get more done with less stress. She is the author of Just a Tick, a plain-English governance guide for committees and boards.