Having your planning members agree that your committee should speak with one voice is important. Also important is further agreeing how to convey that one voice.
Here are some ideas to help:
Encourage members to consider their correspondence as well as the words they choose to clearly delineate the line between the individual and the committee. Even in spoken conversation it is important to interject, “It is my opinion” or “I think,” as well as “the committee agreed” or “on behalf of the committee,” to keep those lines clear.
When possible use an e-mail address specific to the meeting or conference instead of an individual member’s email.
It’s unlikely you might have to face a roomful of bikers (see earlier post) but conference attendees and participants can have that same level of passion for their field of research and it is a crowd you do not want to have to explain a simple misunderstanding.
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