People don’t want to be wrong

By Ann Macfarlane | November 3, 2021 |

Do you have board members who are reluctant to use Robert’s Rules? Who decline offers of training or useful publications? I think it’s because people don’t want to be wrong,…

“America will be”

By Ann Macfarlane | July 31, 2020 |

The current turmoil in our country over social justice issues isn’t the first time, of course, that people have grappled with inequality. August 4, 1789 was a landmark in the…

View Better Meetings Advance Social Justice free webinar

By Ann Macfarlane | July 23, 2020

Laura Morgan, a Black Parliamentarian from Chicago’s South Shore, kicks off this webinar by sharing her story of how she became a Professional Registered Parliamentarian. Then we go on to…

Failure

By Ann Macfarlane | July 17, 2020 |

Guest post by Craig Freshley. We are big fans of Craig’s wisdom and are delighted to share this post with our readers. Visit Craig’s website for more superb tips on…

Message from a Black Parliamentarian

By Ann Macfarlane | June 30, 2020 |

Guest post by Laura Rabb Morgan, a Black Professional Registered Parliamentarian. Thank you Laura for sharing this important message with us. Laura tells her story on video in our free…

What can a president do without the board? Thoughts on leadership

By Ann Macfarlane | June 17, 2020

Several readers have written to me recently with questions about their authority as president of a nonprofit organization. It seems that Jurassic Parliament has been almost too successful at…

Our worst selves

By Ann Macfarlane | May 15, 2020 |

When I served on the board of the American Translators Association, a fellow board member drove me crazy. His blithe assumption of superiority and his ego were insufferable. Of…

3 major pitfalls for nonprofit boards

By Ann Macfarlane | January 13, 2020 |

In my experience there are three major pitfalls that can affect the ability of a nonprofit board of directors to fulfill its duty and serve its organization. Pitfall 1 –…