Characteristics of a Good Chairperson
The chairperson plays a key role on any voluntary management committee. Below are summarised some of the key qualities, skills and knowledge that are characteristic of an effective chairperson.
Qualities, skills and knowledge
A good chairperson will:
- speak clearly and succinctly;
- be sensitive to the feelings of members;
- be impartial and objective;
- start and finish on time;
- be approachable;
- have an understanding of the voluntary and community sector;
- be tactful;
- have knowledge of the organisation's key networks;
- be able to delegate;
- be a good strategist;
- be a strong networker;
- be good at team building;
- consider succession planning across the board;
- plan for skills development of themselves and the committee;
- have experience of management committee involvement;
- show interest in member's viewpoints;
- have sound knowledge of the organisation's work;
- have an ability to respect confidences; and
- ensure decisions are taken and recorded.
Do's and Don'ts
A good chairperson will: | A good chairperson will not: |
---|---|
Make all members feel valued |
Be the person who talks most at the meetings |
Strive for consensus, using his/her casting vote sparingly |
Make all the decisions |
Listen to others |
Allow one or two people to dominate meetings |
Encourage new faces onto committee |
Cut people out of discussions |
Plan for the future |
Allow meetings to become unproductive |
Make new members feel welcome |
Make people feel foolish or useless |
Allow others to take responsibility |
Force people to contribute to discussions |
Keep calm |
Lose his/her temper |
Know when to stand down |
Stay too long |