Powerful Meetings

Essential tips for effective online meetings

By Ann Macfarlane / March 25, 2020 / Comments Off on Essential tips for effective online meetings
A woman in a business suit participates in an online meeting with three colleagues on separate monitors.

  Moving your meeting online presents special challenges. Here are our best tips for success. Make sure you can meet this way. Refer to state law and your bylaws to make sure you can meet by telephone or videoconference. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition, discusses this issue on pp. 97-99. According to…

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When COVID-19 cancels your meeting

By Ann Macfarlane / March 23, 2020 /
A large red button with the word "Emergency" written in white letters, reminiscent of the urgency felt when COVID-19-cancels-meeting notices disrupt our plans.

  Updated 5/11/2020   We’re having to adjust to a different world right now. In general, it’s always best to have an in-person meeting on matters of great importance. This provides the fullest opportunity to discuss, debate, consider alternatives, and come to agreement. When that’s impossible, you have to look at alternatives. This article lays out…

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“Stand at ease” creates breathing space in meetings

By Ann Macfarlane / March 4, 2020 / Comments Off on “Stand at ease” creates breathing space in meetings
A beach scene with a wooden lounge chair standing at ease under a white umbrella on the sandy shore, with a clear blue sky and the calm sea in the background.

  Have you ever had one of those desperate moments in a meeting where you just don’t know what to do? I certainly have! There is a great tool to use at such a time. The chair can direct the members to “stand at ease.” This means that business of the meeting is on pause…

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Single-tasking creates group magic

By Ann Macfarlane / February 19, 2020 / Comments Off on Single-tasking creates group magic
A man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a white shirt and red polka dot tie, is smiling at the camera against a black background. With an air of calm authority, his demeanor suggests a seasoned expert in enforcement.

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 meetings and leadership. In principle, even though multi-tasking seems ever more popular, the fact remains that focusing on one goal at a time is the…

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Run better work meetings using Robert’s Rules

By Ann Macfarlane / October 16, 2019 /
A group of people sitting around a large table in a conference room, working on laptops and engaged in discussions typical of work meetings. A whiteboard with writing is visible in the background.

A colleague asked for our best tips on leading committee meetings at work using Robert’s Rules. In general, Robert’s Rules don’t apply at work The first and obvious point is that work is not a venue where Robert’s Rules and parliamentary procedure apply. That system of meeting management is designed for assemblies—groups—where all members have…

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Do Robert’s Rules drive you crazy?

By Ann Macfarlane / October 10, 2019 / Comments Off on Do Robert’s Rules drive you crazy?
An elderly woman wearing a pink visor and glasses is sitting inside a boat on dry land, next to a fence and trees, calmly reminiscent of Robert's Rules. The boat boasts the registration number CF 0124 SX and features a red Lake County sticker.

When I posted this question, Betsy Cawn of Lake County, California wrote a short and pungent response. Much appreciated, Betsy! Thanks to you, Ann, Robert’s Rules DO NOT drive me crazy — but unlearned colleagues who refuse to even discuss the abbreviated set of “simple guidelines” you provide certainly DO. Somewhere between the extreme formality…

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Remedies for abuse of authority by the chair in a meeting

By Ann Macfarlane / September 25, 2019 / Comments Off on Remedies for abuse of authority by the chair in a meeting
Cover of the book "Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 12th Edition," featuring authors Henry M. Robert III, Daniel H. Honemann, Thomas J. Balch, Daniel E. Seabold, and Shmuel Gerber; this essential guide includes crucial small board rules for effective meeting management.

Updated August 26, 2021 Abuse of authority by the chair can be challenging. Here is the guidance from Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition. Our blog posts listed below give more information on the practical aspects of dealing with abuse of authority by the chair. Download PDF Remedies for Abuse of Authority by…

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Using the Round Robin Method for efficient board meetings

By Ann Macfarlane / May 30, 2019 / Comments Off on Using the Round Robin Method for efficient board meetings
A robin with a red breast perches on a budding branch against a blurred green background, as if participating in nature's own round robin.

The simplest way to make board meetings more efficient is to use the Round Robin Method of discussion. In a round robin, each member of the body is given an opportunity to speak once before anyone may speak a second time, commonly by calling on the members around the table in turn. Sometimes, however, it’s…

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Enforcement

By Ann Macfarlane / April 25, 2019 / Comments Off on Enforcement
A man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a white shirt and red polka dot tie, is smiling at the camera against a black background. With an air of calm authority, his demeanor suggests a seasoned expert in enforcement.

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 meetings and leadership. In principle, decisions without enforcement grow weak and eventually wither. When rules or policies are not enforced it causes confusion, resentment, and…

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Dangers of consensus decision-making

By Ann Macfarlane / April 9, 2019 /
A winding road with a deep, jagged crack branching outward in multiple directions, as if nature itself couldn't reach a consensus on which path to follow.

At a recent nonprofit board conference, I asked participants how they discuss and decide their issues. The majority of the attendees at my session agreed that they use “informal consensus.” Download PDF What is informal consensus? Here is a description of informal consensus from Andy Robinson’s book, Great Boards for Small Groups: Someone presents an…

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