Teams Vs. Committees: Which Boosts Productivity More?

Instead of taking action, do you spend too much time in committee meetings talking about taking action rather than taking it? This article provides insight into Teams VS. Committees: Which Boosts Productivity More?

Great leaders watch their timespend, sticking to a strict diet, low on committee meetings and high on team meetings and taking action. 

Committee Meetings are necessary as a part of regular communication. Attending more committee meetings, results in getting less actual work done. Being trapped in the committee square dance, exiting one committee meeting and entering the next, decreases effectiveness.  So, Teams Vs. Committees: Which Boosts Productivity More?  

A team is not a committee and A committee is not a team.  

Committees exist to exist and monitor while teams exist to accomplish, consequently, I advocate for teams to avoid committees. Feeling overcommitteed, I met with every committee leader and explained I supported their committee, but I would only participate on issues directly related to my team. I continued to collaborate and communicate in the normal course of my work but I was committee free!  

Ineffective committees can act as the carbohydrates of a business leading to work process sluggishness.  

Teams assemble to address a specific issue, focus on movement, progress, results and resolution. Overall, effective teams enjoy a short life span, working together only until the issue is proven solved.  Proven solved!

Great Leaders investigate their work area with team members, customers, exploring new technologies, ideating, measuring performance. Staying free of obligatory meetings clog the wheels of progress.  

Leaders must prioritize and find the balance between observing operations or attending meetings, Observing operations, understanding customers, improving operations, focuses on the present and future, which teams impact. Committees Traditionally look back. This illustrates Teams Vs. Committees: Which Boosts Productivity More?

Team Vs Committee Approach– Hospital Hand Washing Example

Leapfrog reports only 74% of hospitals met CDC hand washing standards in 2023, an improvement from prior years, however hospital hand washing standards have been in place since the 1980s. Physicians started scrubbing before surgeries to reduce infections in the 1870s. (National Geographic)  

Over the past forty years, many hospitals created oversight committees to gather results, measure compliance and recommend steps for improving. Yet hygiene compliance, has remained an issue in many hospitals for over forty years. I am suggesting a different approach.

Creating a team could prove more effective in driving higher compliance, while reducing hospital acquired infections. How? By defining the mission, providing education, maximizing real time observations, recognizing positive performers and addressing non-compliance directly.

Teams reach beyond committees by directly observing and taking actions in real time.

WHAT GREAT LEADERS KNOW

1. Maximizing productivity and communication requires a sound strategy.
2. Watching their timespend, sticking to a strict diet low on committee meetings and high on team meetings and taking actions.
3. Working together only until the issue is proven solved. Effective teams have a short life span.

LINKS

https://whatgretleadersknow.com

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/handwashing-once-controversial-medical-advice#:~:text=Surgeons began regularly scrubbing up,first national hand hygiene guidelines

https://www.leapfroggroup.org/sites/default/files/Files/leapfrog-HH-report-2024_FINAL.pdf