Michigan State University Extension
Issue Identification Information - II792003
10/01/94
(PLEASE NOTE: the following are from training materials produced by the National Family Community Leadership project. It provides good background material, and some provide materials you may want to use with staff or advisory groups.)
Interacting with Advisory Groups/Committees
The way in which the professional works with advisory groups influences productivity of the group. The committee has been assembled for several reasons. First, a committee should be representative of the county and involved in making program decisions which will affect Extension educational opportunities for county residents. Research has repeatedly indicated that local people can and & identify problems as well as influential 2nd professionals.
A committee fulfills one of the requirements for affirmative action. To meet affirmative action guidelines, professionals should carefully consider the selection of each person. Some committee members are selected because they are more idea oriented while others become are concerned about tasks to be completed.
Committees are assembled to assist in making decisions via an advisory role. This means that committee members provide recommendations for eventual decisions. The professional assumes a leadership role and is responsible for the program in the county and/or area. Other professionals as well as committee members provide advice and assistance. Ultimately, the professional is accountable for the educational program within the given geographic assignment.
How can we as professionals most effectively work with the committee?
1. Recognize that a new committee is not clear about its ends, means, and authority. People have vague ideas about their assignment and look to the professional for cues.
Job descriptions and clearly defined committee ales will help group members better understand how they can assist Extension. Orientation by the Extension agent about what Cooperative Extension is, what the county population looks like, other information about the county and other appropriate material can provide group members with background to carry out their roles.
2. A professional who is providing leadership recommends the sort of direction that fits into the organizational mission and goals of the Cooperative Extension Service. This information gives the advisory group the framework in which they can operate.
3. Develop and continue to build listening skills. Just because a professional has organized the committee does not mean that person talks the majority of the time. Some of the most effective adult educators are people of few words. They function very much like a counselor and guide a discussion.
The professional can work with committee leaders to organize the agenda prior to the meeting. Keep in mind that initially people discuss their own situation. Listen to personal needs and build on these so that committee members will stretch out and focus on needs of others. Don't be afraid of silence. Silence can be a time to ponder and find words to express an idea.
4. Help committee define the problem. Committee members as well as professionals are usually action-oriented. Too often, we superficially identify the problem and immediately switch to methods to conduct a program. Identifying the needs and problems of people is the primary concern of the committee. As professionals, we continually help committee members focus attention to what, why, how, since when, where, and how much.
Avoid flooding people with statistics. However, provide enough background so that a meaningful and logical case can be built. Talk about what the statistics mean as welt as sharing numbers. Providing implications is not controlling committee members thinking. Rather, implications activate people's sequencing and questioning process.
5. Carefully arrange the physical environment. Psychologically, committee members are affected by the room arrangement. A room that appears to be about the "right size" may in reality be too small. If you are wanting a small group feeling, you may need a room that physically appears too big. When tables and chairs are clustered and have a fair amount of space surrounding them, some people feel they are functioning as a small group.
6. Show committee members that the professional is not building his/her ego at their expense. The "I'm O.K. -You're O.K." idea is important. All involved are individuals and come to the situation with different backgrounds and needs. Encourage each person to share their strengths and become involved meaningfully.
7. Assist committee leaders to eve the group through the agenda. Discussions frequently become bogged- down in unrelated conversation. The committee meeting needs a definite starting and stopping point so participants can adjust other plans accordingly. Of course, if people want to stay and converse after the meeting, fine. However, we need to keep the pup on the topic and move them along when a particular discussion appears exhausted. Minute details can be completed later and after all, the committee is concerned about more general topics.
Developed for Advisory Group Workshop (12/82) Michigan State University, Cooperative Extension Service.