I never met a committee I didn’t dislike

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 April 15

“If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it.”-–Charles F. Kettering, American engineer who invented the electric starter

I’ve never enjoyed serving on committees. Most committee members seem to have a penchant for non-stop jabbering without ever accomplishing anything momentous.

Committees love to plan what they plan to do. If someone is forceful enough to take control and come up with a plan, there’s a good chance at least two other committee members will pooh-pooh it. Either that, or everyone just lets the strong man (or woman) take over, so they don’t have to think or work too much.

Once committee members come to a consensus, good ideas have usually been hopelessly diluted.

Committees (small groups) can be formed to make recommendations to larger groups. The US Senate and House of Representatives are divided into committees.  We always hear about the Senate Finance Committee and House Committee on Foreign Affairs, but did you know there are Committees on Intelligence, Aging, and Standards of Official Conduct?  Watching a government committee on TV is a painful experience.  Not as painful as labor, but painful. I shudder to think that some of these senators and representatives are making recommendations that affect our lives.

If you’re FOF, you know what happened with the Committee to Re-Elect (Richard M. Nixon) President. It was called CREEP…for good reason.

0 Responses to “I never met a committee I didn’t dislike”

  1. Duchesse says:

    One of my services is professional meeting facilitation, which I have done for some of the world’s largest corporations. Any group that meets should create real work products, period.

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  2. Marjip says:

    Our government’s committees making decisions that become laws for all of us-that’s scary! Corporate & volunteer committees may be tedious & end without consensus of all. Our representatives are making decisions without our input-we’re not invited to vote on matters that affect ourselves and future generations. Now, I agree that it’s become painful! And, who to elect, what do these representatives really stand for, is beyond news, TV & tweets. Love your insight.

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    • Geri says:

      For sure Marji, “beyond news, TV and tweets.” Brilliant!

      geri

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  3. Linda McCoy says:

    Hi Geri,
    I love the corporate committees. This is where everyone sits at a meeting and tries to out-corporate-speak one another: “Lets take a deeper dive!” “We can noodle this around.” “What’s the work-around for that?” ” What’s the process for innovation?” (lol!)
    I always enjoyed the verbal jousting, too bad nothing ever got solved. Are they teaching this in universities? I’m scared.

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    • Geri says:

      Hi Linda,

      That deeper dive really slays me, too. Probably teaching it at Hah-vaad B-school.

      Did you fill in your whole profile and website on the community section?

      oxo Geri

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      • Linda McCoy says:

        Hi Geri,
        I did complete my profile. I’m working on a photo. That may take a century or two. lol
        Hugs
        Linda

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        • Geri says:

          LOL linda

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  4. Susan says:

    It’s called–
    Report of the Fourteenth
    Subcommittee on Convening a
    Discussion Group
    (by Marge Piercy)

    susan

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    • Geri says:

      hi susan,

      the title is hysterical. i am going to look for it now.

      G.

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  5. Susan says:

    Oh God yes. I just laughed out loud…& looked for a Marge Piercy poem on a committee or subcommittee. Do you know it? I’ll find & send to you. I was simmering one day, waiting for some dumb committee meeting to commence (I was forced by an evil chief editor, fume, to sit in on it) & a fellow sufferer handed me a photocopy. She thought I’d know it; I had a lot of Piercy’s books but this poem had not “hit” me when younger. And with that, I go off to look for it.

    Have a good, committee-less evening, Geri

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