Episode Description
You can run the best election process in the world and still have new committee members who are still finding their feet six months later. The difference between a new member who contributes from day one and one who takes half a year to get up to speed usually comes down to one thing: induction. Not a pile of documents — a proper process. In this episode, the Kates walk through what good induction actually looks like, from the nomination pack to the first informal coffee to the dedicated induction meeting that sets the tone for the whole year.
Show Notes
Handing someone a 100-page manual and a thumb drive is not an induction. It’s a pile of reading material with good intentions. Real induction is about people, not paper — and it starts earlier than most committees think, well before the AGM. This episode covers the full induction process: what goes in the manual, who’s responsible, what the personal touch looks like in practice, and why that first committee meeting deserves a very different agenda than every meeting that follows.
In This Episode
- Why the induction manual matters — and why it’s not enough on its own
- The complete list of what should be in a new committee member’s manual, and why each item is there
- Why induction starts before the election, with a nomination checklist that sets expectations from the start
- Who’s responsible for making induction happen — and the personal welcome letter that sets the tone
- The pre-meeting coffee: where induction really comes alive
- The dedicated induction meeting: why the first committee meeting after the AGM deserves its own agenda
- Why reviewing foundation documents together isn’t just for new members — it’s a useful annual reset for the whole committee
Free Downloads
Two resources from this episode to get you started:
For the full list of foundation documents every committee should have, Kate McPhee’s Just a Tick covers all of them. Find it at liquoriceallsorts.com.au. And if you want checklists, guides and exemplars, Kate Hartwig’s Committee Companion might be the head start you’re looking for. Find it at katehartwig.com.au.
This Week’s Challenge
Have a good look at your current induction process. Is it a process, or is it just a pile of documents? Pick one thing to add or improve before your next AGM — just one. Maybe it’s a welcome letter from the chair. Maybe it’s a pre-meeting coffee with the president. Maybe it’s finally organising that shared drive so new members can actually find what they need. The induction checklist in the show notes is a good place to start.
Got a Question for the Kates?
If you’ve got a governance question you’d like the Kates to tackle on the show, or a situation you’re not sure how to handle, use the contact form at thecommitteeroom.com.au. No question is too basic — if you’re wondering about it, someone else is too. Your question might even become the centrepiece of a future episode.
About Your Hosts
Kate Hartwig has spent forty years working in and around not-for-profit and membership organisations — as a CEO, director, and independent consultant. Her Committee Companion is a head start on good governance with checklists, frameworks and exemplars for committee members. katehartwig.com.au
Kate McPhee has three decades of hands-on experience helping small clubs and associations get more done with less stress. She is the author of Just a Tick, a plain-English governance guide for committees and boards. liquoriceallsorts.com.au
Together they offer governance health checks and practical support through Fresh Allsorts.
This podcast provides general information on best practice governance for small to medium not-for-profit associations. It is not legal advice.
Timestamps
00:05 — Your first committee meeting
00:52 — Introducing the Kates and this episode on inductions
01:48 — Not just an induction manual
03:52 — What’s in the manual?
06:09 — Who makes this happen — the Secretary!
06:48 — The personal touch
07:51 — The induction meeting
09:46 — Recap
10:39 — This week’s challenge
11:02 — Induction checklist and manual contents list
11:12 — Ask Us Anything!
11:34 — Wrap-up and next week’s episode
Next Episode
Why is it always the same three people doing everything? Next episode, the Kates tackle subcommittees and working groups — how to share the load properly, how to set them up so they actually work, and how to make sure they report back to the committee rather than going rogue.
Resources & Links
🎙️ The Committee Room thecommitteeroom.com.au — episode archive, show notes, downloads and contact form
🍬 Fresh Allsorts freshallsorts.com.au — Governance Health Checks and practical services from both Kates
Kate Hartwig Consulting katehartwig.com.au — including the Committee Companion, a head start on good governance with checklists, frameworks and exemplars
Liquorice Allsorts Consulting liquoriceallsorts.com.au — including Just a Tick, Kate McPhee’s plain-English governance guide
LinkedIn: Kate Hartwig | Kate McPhee
You don’t need good luck if you’ve got good governance.
The Committee Room | thecommitteeroom.com.au