We’ve all seen the meme: “I just survived a meeting that could have been an email.” We laugh because we’ve all been there.
Lately, many principals have felt pressure to cancel meetings. And yes, of course, we should never hold a meeting that lacks value. When I send out a cancellation email, it’s usually because of a light agenda or an overwhelmed staff. “Enjoy the gift of time,” I love to say.
But what if the opposite is also true? What if the bigger problem isn't the meeting itself, but that we’re using the wrong type of meeting to solve problems? Many of us wouldn’t read that 2,000-word email if it came, so maybe the meeting was necessary after all. The key is to hold meetings that matter—where things get done and everyone leaves knowing they needed to be there.
This is where the idea of a micro-committee changed my work.
"Committee Culture"
I was recently leading a virtual PD for 65 school leaders and asked them to list the committees and teams that do the work in their schools. The chat exploded. Here’s just a sample of what they shared:
Staff Meetings. Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). School Leadership Team (SLT). Professional Development Committee. Technology Committee. Literacy and Math Committees. Safety and Security Committee. Threat Assessment Team. Principal's Advisory Council (PAC). Building Leadership Team (BLT). Hiring Committee. Student Success Team (SST). Sunshine Committee. MTSS Team. PBIS Committee. Equity and Diversity Team. And on and on and on.
Crikey. We are doing a lot of meeting. And for ongoing, systemic work, these structures are essential. What about when a specific problem needs to be solved?
In the past, we’d form a "task force." But a task force is for a large, complex problem requiring multiple meetings and a long-term implementation plan. I’m not talking about those. I’m talking about the small, disruptive problems: Unexpectedly low scores on a common chemistry exam. Repeated incidents of aggression on the playground. A near-miss in the carpool line. Troubles with restroom supervision during class changes.
For these, you don’t need a task force. You need a micro-committee.
A Framework for Agile Problem-Solving
In short, the micro-committee is for work that’s temporary, urgent, and needs a quick solution.
I first heard about this from a principal I was coaching in Texas, and I latched on to the idea like Velcro. A micro-committee is a small group of knowledgeable people who come together once—maybe twice—to analyze a specific problem and design a path forward. That’s it. It’s a targeted, rapid-response tool.
Here’s how to launch one, framed by six key questions:
Who needs to be there? Invite only the people who truly understand the problem from different angles. Keep it small. Six people might work; seven is pushing it. You need experts, not an audience.
What is the exact problem we need to solve? When you invite them, briefly outline the problem as you see it. Ask them to come prepared with initial thoughts and potential solutions. This front-loading makes the meeting itself efficient.
How will we structure the time? Be clear that this is a single work session. Create a timed agenda that you share in advance: (1) Deeply define the problem, (2) Brainstorm and select a solution, and (3) Create an implementation plan. Appoint someone—maybe yourself—to be the "agenda police."
How much time will it take? Schedule one meeting. The goal is efficiency. If a follow-up is needed, it should only be to evaluate the effectiveness of the solution after it’s been implemented.
Who will bear responsibility? The meeting must end with clarity. Document specific assignments: Who will do what? What is the exact timeline? How will accountability be measured? Put it in writing.
How will we communicate the plan? Decide how you will tell the rest of the staff. Transparency is critical for buy-in. Sending the meeting notes and action steps to everyone demonstrates respect and builds trust.
Here are two quick examples of when micro-committees worked. First, a colleague saw that none of her 7th graders performed well on "measurement" on a district assessment. The math teachers said, “That’s a science standard.” The science teachers said, “That’s a math standard.” The principal convened a micro-committee with the math and science department heads. In one 45-minute meeting, they mapped the standards, identified the gap, and created a plan for co-teaching a brief unit. The next assessment results swung dramatically upwards.
A second example: A high school friend of mine developed a "perfect" master schedule. But when school started, he realized lunch was a few minutes too short in practice. Students needed more time to transition. Shaving minutes from classes created a cascade of contractual and curricular problems. Enter the micro-committee: five people with deep scheduling knowledge in a room with pencils and paper. In one session, the principal’s micro-committee team found a solution by adjusting homeroom time, preserving instructional minutes and everything else that was needed. The problem was solved within a week.
A New Mindset for Meetings
My team now jokes about my love for micro-committees. I love them because they boil the potential of meetings down to their very essence: the right people, focused on a specific problem, driving toward an efficient and manageable outcome.
So let’s reframe the conversation. It’s not about canceling all meetings. It’s about using the right tool for the job.
Use staff meetings for large-scale communication and culture-building.
Use standing committees for ongoing, long-term strategic work.
And use micro-committees for intense, short-term problem-solving.
Cancel the meetings that don’t matter. But for the problems that do, let’s think about the focused power of the micro-committee.
That’s all for now. Let’s stay curious—
Jen
P.S. As always, this newsletter is 100% human authored. I’m the human author.
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