How to Manage Committee Members
In this advisory monologue, the speaker offers graduate students practical strategies for handling their dissertation or thesis committees. He emphasizes the importance of never explicitly stating that you are "managing" the committee, even though you are, and instead focusing on understanding each member’s individual priorities—such as a fixation on APA style, specific wording, or methodological preferences. By recognizing what drives each member’s satisfaction or frustration, you can anticipate their concerns. The speaker also recommends taking a proactive stance by proposing concrete milestones, like suggesting a defense date (e.g., March 15), and asking what needs to be completed to meet that deadline. This approach shifts the committee’s mindset from passive waiting to active planning, helping to avoid indefinite delays.
