Applying an ICORT Mindset Helps Committees Build Relationships and Leverage Strengths

 To make committee work both effective and efficient, institutes of higher education (IHE) can utilize the tenets of Invitational Education Theory (Purkey & Novak, 2015) by applying an intentional, caring, optimism, respectful, and trusting (ICORT) mindset (Purkey, Novak, & Fretz, 2020; Anderson 2021) to the institution’s 5-Ps: People, Places, Policies, Programs, and Processes. When combined with Covey’s (1989) principle of prioritizing what matters most, committees can become more productive, relationally healthy, and purposeful rather than burdensome or symbolic.

Committee work in higher education often suffers from unclear goals, excessive meetings, weak follow-through, or disengaged members. Invitational Education Theory offers a framework for reversing these patterns by ensuring committees intentionally create environments where members feel valued, empowered, and motivated to contribute.

Committee effectiveness begins with people. Institutions should intentionally select committee members based on expertise, perspective, and commitment rather than convenience alone. Applying an ICORT mindset for committee effectiveness and efficiency means being intentional.

 Choose members whose skills align with the committee’s charge. Exhibiting care: Recognize workloads and competing responsibilities. Promoting optimism: Believe every member has something valuable to contribute. Empowering mutual respect: Encourage all voices, including junior faculty, staff, and students whenever possible.  Building trust: Delegate meaningful responsibilities rather than centralizing control.

Exhibition of an ICORT mindset is strengthened through utilization of the following practical strategies:

• Use strengths-based role assignments.
• Rotate leadership opportunities.
• Establish psychological safety norms.
• Publicly recognize contributions.

Operationalizing these strategies in applying an ICORT mindset helps committees avoid domination by a few voices while increasing engagement and ownership.

“Places” refers to both physical and virtual meeting spaces. Committee productivity is strongly shaped by environment. Applying an ICORT mindset means designing spaces that communicate value and efficiency. During committee work you may have experienced, consider the consistency of following:

• Provision of comfortable, accessible meeting rooms.
• Access to reliable technology for hybrid participation.
• Dissemination of agendas shared in advance.
• Adherence to schedules: Meetings starting and ending on time.
• Utilization of virtual platforms that encourage participation.

An inviting place signals that members’ time matters.

Many committees fail because policies surrounding committee operations are either vague or inconsistent. Institutions should develop policies that define the committee’s purpose, scope of authority, decision-making procedures, membership terms, reporting expectations, and either sunset or review dates.  Applying an ICORT mindset ensures policies are not punitive but enabling.

From the perspective of policy development and adherence, intentionality is indicated by clear charters.  Care acknowledges realistic workload expectations. Realistic optimism appreciates that a goal without a plan is just a wish. Respect is demonstrated through transparent procedures and trust appropriately empowers autonomy.  Clear policies reduce confusion, duplication, and mission drift.

Committee work needs to align with institutional priorities.  Committees should not exist merely because they always existed.  The committee members’ work should support strategic goals, accreditation priorities, student success, shared governance, or innovation. Programmatically, applying an ICORT mindset means feeling empowered to ask:

• Does this committee still serve a meaningful purpose?
• Are we solving real institutional problems?
• Are members equipped to succeed?

Committees become more effective when linked to visible outcomes rather than routine maintenance.

Processes are where Covey’s (1989) emphasis on effectiveness and prioritization becomes essential. Committee members often resent inefficient processes more than committee service itself. Applying an ICORT mindset in itself is a process.  Therefore, let’s consider various levels of processes from an ICORT perspective:

Intentional Processes:

• Clear agendas tied to decisions needed
• Consent agendas for routine approvals
• Defined timelines
• Action-item tracking

Caring Processes:

• Limit unnecessary meetings
• Use asynchronous collaboration when possible
• Respect workload cycles (midterms, registration, etc.)

Optimistic Processes:

• Focus meetings on solutions rather than complaints
• Celebrate progress

Respectful Processes:

• Invite input before meetings
• Avoid wasting time on issues already decided
• Use facilitation norms

Trusting Processes:

• Empower subgroups to do preliminary work
• Delegate recommendations
• Reduce micromanagement

 Any highly-effective committee grounded in an ICORT mindset respective of the institution’s 5-Ps would minimally operate with the following expectations:

• Clear annual charge and outcomes
• Diverse membership intentionally selected
• Monthly 50-minute meetings with agendas available beforehand
• Shared documents with opportunities for asynchronous edits
• Decisions delegated when possible
• Mid-year assessment of effectiveness
• Annual sunset review to determine continuation needs

This ICORT-driven structure not only honors shared governance but also protects the value of limited time. This raises the implications for administrative leadership.  Presidents, provosts, deans, and committee chairs all should model invitational leadership and be intentionally inviting in questioning:

• Are our committees inviting participation or draining morale?
• Are we respecting time as a finite institutional resource?
• Are meetings producing outcomes?
• Do members feel heard, trusted, and valued?

Leadership sets the tone. If administrators treat committees as symbolic or bureaucratic, members will do likewise.

Institutes of higher education can make committee work more effective and efficient by applying Invitational Education Theory through an ICORT mindset to the 5-Ps. When institutions intentionally care for people, create inviting places, establish clear policies, align programs with mission, and streamline processes, committees become engines of collaboration rather than obstacles to progress. Combined with Covey’s emphasis on prioritizing what truly matters, committee service can become both meaningful and time-conscious.

To cite:

Anderson, C.J. (April 30, 2026). Applying an ICORT mindset helps committees build relationships and leverage strengths, [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/

 

 References

Anderson, C. J. (2021). Developing your students' emotional intelligence and philosophical  perspective begins with I-CORT. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 27, 36-50.

 Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. Free Press.

Purkey, W. W., & Novak, J. M. (2015). Fundamentals of invitational education. (2^nd Ed) International Alliance for Invitational Education. Retrieved from: Fundamental of Invitational Education | IAIE

 Purkey, W.W., Novak, J.M., & Fretz, J.R. (2020). Developing inviting schools: A beneficial framework for teaching. Teachers College Press.