Over the years, the Food Bank has been able to meet its objectives of providing food to needy members of the local community. However, the coming budget has projected a deficit of $20,000 owing to an influx of needy individuals in the community. This has instigated fears that the food bank will not be able to provide food to community residents as a result of the financial challenge. To address this issue, a committee that comprises of stakeholders in the community has been formed to discuss the situation as well as present viable solutions to the impending problem. Being the facilitator of the committee, the provisions for the preparation of the first meeting will be taken into consideration. In this case, I will seek to preside over the committee meeting for the purpose of providing requisite information to be used for the analysis of the situation, through the application of tactical steps as detailed further below:
Determine the purpose of the meeting
In this case, I will establish the primary reason for the meeting, which is to discuss the aspect of ideal generation. This relates to the need to develop workable and viable ideas that can be applied to the fundraising of the additional $20,000 required by the organization. In addition, the meeting will take into consideration the concept of project planning that will ensure the selection of the best idea as previously determined, is carried out in the most efficient and effective way in light of the scarcity of resources.
The definition of success for the committee will be the fundraising of the required funds to facilitate the undertaking of the organization’s activities. In line with this aspect, the committee will seek to ensure a harmonious collection of funds among participants, for instance, the volunteers involved in the process. As mentioned above, the overall objective will be the successful collection of the required $20,000 to close the projected budget deficit. Purpose determination is made to provide direction to the committee meeting and induce creativity and reduce time-wastage.
Specify outcomes (Products)
Selection of participants
Given the diverse nature of personalities of the volunteers involved in the project, it is imperative to select members of groups comprised of individuals who will complement each other. The choice of participants will be based primarily on the type of project or initiative to be undertaken for the fundraising drive. For instance, if a music concert is to be organized as a means of collection of funds, the most involved volunteer would be Carlos Soares, a professional musician. In another instance, if a business networking event were to be organized which would involve the participation of local businesses, Jane MacManus would be best placed as the most involved participant given her mobilization and networking ability in the community. In light of this realization, the participation of an individual is based exclusively on their strengths and their ability to perform as expected. The participants should be actively engaged in the process, working collaboratively with the committee. This is because the former will provide unique concepts that can be considered as a differentiating aspect that will instigate interest while the other party will apply those concepts and structure those in the framework of the project. This allows the achievement of the overall objective as established by the committee.
The number of participants will also depend on the type of project to be carried out. If the initiative is expected to be involving, a sizeable number of participants will be required. The contrary also holds true. Once the participants have been determined, the team establishes policies and procedures that guide decision-making as well as the appropriate application of the project’s resources, and the expertise required for the initiative.
Identification of Probable Issues
Working in a team setting, issues often surrounding interaction and engagement often surface. This is because of the fact that the setup allows for the convergence of different personalities. As a result, individuals may disagree on the most preferred direction. The situation is often worse if individuals involved all have strong personalities as all would like to adopt their respective approach (Housel, 2002). For instance, if the project required the close participation of Bob Smith, the long-serving and disorganized volunteer and Jane MacManus, the smart and opinionated restaurant owner, it is very probable such an arrangement would not yield the best results. In such instances, the facilitator of the team should have a one-on-one meeting with the individuals. This is done in an attempt to get them back on the road map towards the achievement of set goals. Also, communication channels should be open in order to encourage dialogue in the team. This allows for individuals to assess issues that may develop in the course of the project’s timeframe. Therefore, the encouragement of communication would facilitate discussions aimed at resolving any issues that may have developed, and which have the potential to create an uncomfortable working environment.
Also, the purpose and agenda, which outlines items of discussion set precedence for the meeting. This allows for all members to agree on the course of the initiative and the acceptance and implementation of their respective roles.
References
Housel, D. J. (2002). Team dynamics. Cincinnati: South-Western Publishers.
Mackin, D. (2007). The team building toolkit: Tips and tactics for effective workplace teams. New York: Amacom Publishers.
