ABSTRACT
Ineffective commissioners are nowhere men (and women), and their meetings take place in nowhere land and help nobody just like the "Nowhere Man" in the famous song by the Beatles—ask any developer, planner, city council member, or county supervisor who's suffered with one or more. Yet commissioners can help or hinder billions of dollars worth of public and private development every year. Group adjustment to working effectively requires that each member receive a minimum amount of stimulation and structured work time to feel that his or her time and energy devoted to commission work are rewarding and useful. Good morale also allows the group to go through periods of extraordinary workloads or pressures in an orderly and effective way. The key person in the creation and maintenance of a commission that can do an adequate job is the chairperson.
