Committees are an omnipresent fact of life, particularly in corporate life. Originally intended as a tool to facilitate important decision making (due to balanced opinions and input) processes, committees as a corporate tool have become next to useless in most cases. Why? Some reasons include:

1. The main purpose of committees is to ensure that people and positions are represented in decision making processes. By definition, this means that those that vehemently oppose an issue are to be included alongside those that vigorously favor it. When a majority vote swings on a vote here and there, things can get sticky, and fast.

2. Committees often serve as "gatekeepers" for higher ups with regards to important issues, and carry a veto power as such. Thus, their inherent tendency is to look for the impossibilities and peculiarities in suggested plans, strategies, and courses of action.

3. The larger the committee, the less efficient and effective they are. More people equals more egos, less group focus, less direction, and so on.

4. Committees as a whole are inefficient decision making tools when compared to individuals. This is simple math: more minds involved usually equates to more negotiation of opinions and more time spent on issues. Most of the time this is not preferable in corporate life. Time spent bogged down in decision making is time spent away from gaining market share from competitors.

Some simple tips to circumvent the problem of committees include:

1. Use them less. Allow decision makers, those whom you have entrusted in positions of influence and power, to make most decisions, and to take the responsibility themselves.

2. If you must use committees, keep them small in size (no more than six individuals per). This will allow the group to stay focused on the task at hand, which is to make a decision on a course of action.

3. If you must use committees, deselect those individuals with the most to gain from a polarized opinion (one way or another). Instead, choose personnel that will keep an open mind to facts presented, date, trends, etc. These individuals will serve to make a more informed choice than individuals with something to gain from championing their own cause.