Buzz
Creating a social committee at your workplace offers a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues and organize memorable events. If your company doesn't have one yet, speak with your manager or HR representative about the possibility of forming a committee. Once you have their support, you can begin planning the inaugural meeting and ironing out the logistics for keeping things running smoothly.
Important Things to Remember
- Approach your manager to discuss starting a social committee. Once they approve, contact human resources for the necessary final go-ahead.
- Send an email to your colleagues announcing the new social committee and invite them to the first meeting. Make sure to set a convenient date and time.
- Recruit about 5-8 members for the committee. If there's high interest, consider implementing a rotating schedule so everyone can get involved.
Steps to Follow
Securing Approval and Support
Find a colleague to help you get started. Take some time to chat with your coworkers during breaks and see if anyone is interested in helping to establish a social committee. Having a partner can make organizing the first meeting easier and help generate enthusiasm within the office.
- If no one volunteers to assist you, don’t get discouraged. You can still move forward with the initiative and rally support on your own.
Set up a meeting with your manager. Approach your manager and ask if you can have a brief discussion about launching a social committee. Avoid simply sending an email, as it may not address all your concerns. If your manager redirects you to someone else, arrange a quick chat with them instead.
- Some important questions to ask include whether meetings can take place during work hours, if the company will provide funding for the committee, and what kinds of events are acceptable for you to organize.
Reach out to Human Resources for final approval. Once your manager gives the green light, email the HR department to inform them of your plans. Ask if there are any required forms to fill out or specific rules you must follow for workplace committees.
- Don’t forget to inquire about reimbursement procedures for any committee-related purchases if your company is covering expenses.
Organizing the First Meeting
Choose a time that doesn't conflict with work or personal commitments. If your manager has approved holding the meeting during work hours, select a time that won’t overlap with other meetings or conference calls. If it's outside of work hours, consider scheduling it during lunch breaks or just after work to avoid encroaching on your colleagues’ personal time.
- Keep the meeting to 30 minutes, no matter when it happens. Respecting people's time is a great way to maintain interest in your committee.
Book a location for the meeting. Check with your manager to find out where you can hold the meeting. Look for available conference rooms or break rooms that are free at the time. Ask an office administrator about any procedures for reserving space within the company.
- Ensure that there are enough chairs for everyone who plans to attend.
Send an email with the meeting details to your coworkers. Write an email to inform your colleagues that you're starting a social committee. Be sure to explain the committee's purpose (e.g., organizing events like parties or happy hours). Clearly provide the date, time, and location of the first meeting and invite those interested to respond.
- Distribute the email across all departments so no one misses out on the opportunity.
Post fliers around the office if the email response is limited. If only a few people respond to your email, create a flier with the same details and print several copies to display around the office. Place them near high-traffic areas like the water cooler, kitchen, break room, or a company bulletin board.
- Include your email address so that people from other departments can contact you.
- Confirm with your manager or HR that posting fliers is acceptable within the office.
Select five to eight members for the committee. An ideal committee size is between five and eight people, so if only a few colleagues show interest, proceed with those volunteers. If more than eight individuals want to join, create a rotating schedule to allow everyone to participate.
- Consider a quarterly rotation, changing committee members every three months to give others a chance to join.
- Make sure the rotation includes representatives from various departments.
Prepare an agenda outline. List the topics you want to cover during the meeting, such as leadership roles, the budget, event ideas, and upcoming meeting schedules. Type up an outline and print enough copies to distribute to attendees at the start of the meeting.
Conducting the First Meeting
Begin on time. It's crucial to respect your colleagues' time. Make sure you arrive promptly for your own meeting and avoid delays. Don’t waste time chatting before getting to the point of the committee discussion. Thank everyone for coming and immediately move into the key topics.
Distribute the agenda. Hand out copies of the agenda so everyone can follow along. Provide pens or pencils so attendees can take notes if they wish.
Appoint someone to take minutes. At the start of the meeting, ask for a volunteer to take meeting minutes so you can share the meeting summary with those who couldn’t attend. If no one offers, you’ll need to take the notes yourself.
- Record key points like what was voted on and who committed to which tasks. Avoid writing everything that is said during the meeting.
- For example, note when a motion is made to allocate committee funds for a coworker’s going-away party, followed by the vote tally, indicating how many were in favor and how many opposed.
Elect leaders for the committee. Your committee should have key roles such as a president (or chair), secretary, and treasurer. If multiple people are interested in a position, let the committee vote or consider sharing the responsibilities between two members.
- Don’t automatically assume you’ll be the chair just because you started the committee. Submit your name for consideration, but accept the outcome graciously if someone else is chosen for the role.
Set clear committee goals. Are you focused solely on social events like holiday parties and happy hours? Or do you want to expand to community-focused events such as charity 5Ks? Be specific about your event objectives, and create an online document that everyone can refer back to.
- Welcome input from fellow committee members. They may have different ideas on what events to plan. If there are significant differences in vision, consult your manager to see if they have any preferences for the committee's direction.
Review the budget. Be transparent about the funds available for your committee. How much is the company providing on a quarterly or annual basis? If no budget is allocated, discuss whether you should seek donations from coworkers or brainstorm fundraising ideas.
- Fundraising options could include traditional methods like bake sales or car washes, or something more unique, such as raffling off skills. For instance, a photographer in the group could offer updated headshots in exchange for a donation.
Distribute tasks fairly. Even if you're the chair, avoid doing everything yourself. Delegate responsibilities to ensure everyone feels involved. For instance, assign one person to research venues for the next holiday party, and another to contact caterers. Clearly explain the details of each task before handing it over.
Maintaining the Committee's Momentum
Establish a consistent meeting schedule. To keep people engaged, set regular meetings at the same time and location every few weeks. A monthly meeting is usually a good starting point, unless you anticipate organizing a lot of events that would require more frequent gatherings.
Set up a shared calendar. Utilize your company’s email system to create a shared calendar accessible to all committee members. If your company doesn’t offer a built-in calendar feature, use a tool like Google Calendar. Record the dates and times for meetings, parties, and any deadlines for specific tasks.
Update management after each meeting. After every committee meeting, send an email to your manager (or the manager who approved the committee) with the meeting minutes attached. Arrange periodic check-ins to discuss progress and to pitch ideas for upcoming events.
Invite new members to join. If the same group of people is always planning the events, your social committee may begin to feel exclusive. Every few months, send out an invitation via email for others to join your next meeting or become part of the next rotation. Creating an online sign-up form can make it easier for people to get involved.
- For instance, you could say, "We're always looking for fresh perspectives and ideas—come join us at our next meeting!"
