They include heckling, second-guessing, monologuing, dogmatizing, pontificating, belittling, and quarrelling. No committeeman tries to be obnoxious but many are, without trying. To avoid it keep a hard eye on yourself, a tight rein on your ego, and an open mind. Meetings are faster and more fruitful when everyone sticks to the subject and saves funny stories for the coffee klatch. A third type of mistake is over-helpfulness .
Many chairmen are inexperienced, uneasy, and self-conscious.
A helpful remark that implies criticism may throw them into a tizzy. If you think your chairman needs advice, speak to him in private and with tact. If you offer advice in open meeting, he may be upset not only at the implied rebuke but at interference with his program. He can give your ideas more judicious thought if he hears them in a quiet corner. And if he turns down your proffered help, you won't have been publicly squelched.