Dr. Mahr explores the benefits of College committees working together on meaningful projects.
What do you think is the biggest benefit of committees that work together on a project?
Collaboration as a team for projects works well, in that a shared project is less work for each individual yet benefits many. I also like the fact that it helps you, as a committee member, get to know your strengths and the strengths of your colleagues.
How can committees leverage each other’s expertise and resources when collaborating on projects?
Once a project is decided upon, it is great to share the outline and have members of your committee sign up for sections of the project that they are interested in. This is important whether you are starting a new project, updating an online toolkit or reviewing a guideline. It not only makes the project more manageable, but also allows you to maximize the collective knowledge and expertise of your committee.
What advice would you give to committee leaders who want to collaborate with other committees but aren’t sure how to get started?
Nothing will get done if you don’t ask! So many times, it is as simple as reaching out to another committee and asking if they are interested in the project. You might be surprised that they may have thought of something similar but needed the prompt to move it forward. A recent example is the collaboration between a science committee and an education committee on a soon to be published drug allergy protocol library. You can always ask your staff liaison – or me – to help you get in touch with another committee to start a collaborative project.