What is a subcommittee?

A subcommittee is something you can find in lots of different settings and, as the name suggests, is normally a break-out from a larger committee. For example, in Congress, the Foreign Affairs Committee might have a subcommittee to look at specific regions around the world.

In the workplace, you might see them formed to take on specific parts of projects or to hire a new member of staff. Away from the office, you’re likely to come across them in your local HMA or children’s school.

Subcommittees are useful when only a few members of a larger group are needed to tackle a problem. It lets those with direct knowledge of the issue find a solution quickly.

What is a subcommittee meeting?

Well depending on where it's happening, it can take lots of different forms. A recruitment panel from the HR team will look very different from a Congressional subcommittee. There are, however, some things that will apply to all subcommittee meetings, so let's look at those. 

Subcommittees tend to be formed to tackle a specific issue that doesn’t require the larger group that might be involved in the project. These stakeholders will tend to be experts in their field or hold a position in the company that is vital for a decision to be made. 

It’s good practice to send your agenda to all attendees well ahead of time. Not only does this give everyone the chance to prepare, but they can ask questions or offer feedback that might help make the meeting more productive. 

Know who the meeting chair is, what the goals of the meeting are and who is taking minutes. This will keep everything on time and stop items from being missed. If your committee is legally bound to a particular procedure - make sure you know what it is and that it’s being fulfilled.

Encourage active discussion and try to stop one person from dominating the conversation. You have invited everyone there for a reason, be sure to hear what they have to say.

How to schedule a committee meeting 

Whether it’s your local high school’s PTA or a recruitment panel to find a new CEO, getting a time that everyone can make is hard. That’s where Doodle comes in.

Using Group Poll you simply select the location, add any pre-meeting notes and offer a range of times to your participants. They’ll decide what works for them and within minutes you’ll have a date that’s great for everyone. 

Doodle Professional also lets you add your own branding to meeting invites, get rid of ads, set deadlines and reminders and add your favorite video conferencing tool.

If you are holding your meeting virtually, video conferencing links are automatically added to the email you send. With a Professional account that includes Microsoft Team, Google Meet and Webex.

Doodle makes it easy for you to arrange your subcommittee meeting in minutes - without rounds of email back and forth or unnecessary stress. Try it for free today.