What is a committee call?

A committee call is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a gathering of a group who are appointed to do a specific task - for example, to complete a project. Where committee calls are a little different is they’ll likely be short and act as more of a check-in rather than a full formal meeting.

Although they can be either in-person, it’s far more likely they will be virtual. Nowadays, online committee calls will be held using video conferencing software, such as Zoom or Google Meet.

How to plan a committee call

If these meetings are short by nature then it’s important to get the most from them. Here are some tips for running an effective session:

Set a clear purpose for the call. What do you want to accomplish? Take some time to think about this and when you know, start developing an agenda.

Invite the right people. These calls are short by nature, so don’t have people you don’t need there. Work out who is essential to move your committee’s task forward. The more people you invite, the longer the call will be.

Set a time and date. Choose something that works for everyone on the committee. You can create a poll to find the best time quickly.

Send out your agenda in advance. This will give everyone a chance to prepare for the call.

Start and end the call on time. We all know how quickly our schedules can fill up so be respectful of everyone's time.

Take notes. This will help you to remember what was discussed and make it possible to send out a follow-up email on any action items.

Here are some additional tips for making your committee calls more enjoyable:

Keep it light. Committee calls can be serious business, but that doesn't mean they have to be all work and no play. Take a few minutes to break the ice and have some fun.

Be yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not. People can tell when you're being fake, so just relax and be who you are.

Be positive. An upbeat attitude can go a long way. If you're positive, the people around you will be more likely to be positive as well.

How Doodle can help

With lots of different stakeholders to think of, trying to arrange a time for everyone to get on a call via email is going to be impossible. Doodle makes this easy. 

Using Group Poll you can send out a selection of times to participants and find the best time to meet in a matter of minutes. 

If you are holding your meeting virtually, video conferencing links are automatically added to the email that’s sent when a time is selected. Plus, if you connect your calendar the event will be added automatically so you’ll never get double-booked. 

Doodle makes it easy for you to arrange your committee call in minutes without rounds of email back and forth. No matter if the meeting is for five or 500 - you’ll easily find a time for everyone. Try it for free today - no credit card required.