Have you ever served on a committee or task force where everyone sits around a table or on Zoom discussing what you need to do, how to approach the task, or how to assign responsibilities? Have you gotten frustrated with the pace and thought, “It would just be easier if I did this myself?”
As much as we’ve all been taught that two heads are better than one, the same does not hold true for six, seven or eight heads. The larger the number, the more debate, discussion, side conversations and difficulty figuring out who is going to take on what tasks. So you end up with a bunch of people, at how many dollars per hour, working their way through all this. It’s time consuming and expensive.
Want to reduce the heartburn associated with these kinds of situations? Selectively volunteer. Now, what do I mean by selectively volunteer? Simply this. It is sometimes more efficient to take on a task that you could do yourself than having to navigating the politics and discussion about how to approach it. Once you completed the first version, the rest of the committee can edit you. You just have to be able to put your ego aside.
The most famous example of this was Thomas Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration of Independence. He drafted the original document. The Continental Congress then spent the next several days editing it and dissecting it. Can you imagine what it would have been like to have thirty-some-odd people attempting to write the original declaration?
Now, all this may sound counterintuitive. After all, who wants to volunteer for more work? But here’s my reasoning. When the committee asks for volunteers, everyone starts making excuses or studying their shoes. But I have done this countless times in writing agendas, curricula, fliers, and much more. I look at it this way – Which would I rather do, sit for a couple of hours debating what needs to be included and in what format, or draft the blasted thing and then sit back and let everyone else hash it out. I’ve done my part. I can move on to other tasks. In some cases, I’ve even said, “Look, you know what I’m thinking. So I don’t need to attend the meetings anymore.”
Obviously, this approach does not work in all circumstances. But give it a try when the timing seems right. It’s a better use of your time and energy and people will thank you for taking the lead.