body language

Insulting body language – what to do

By Ann Macfarlane / July 26, 2023 / Comments Off on Insulting body language – what to do
A group of businessmen in a meeting room, with one person replaced by a dinosaur. Caption reads: "If anyone can get us out of our rut, it’s Ole Dinosaur here. Any questions about Robert's Rules?" Chart showing declining profits in background.

Dear Dinosaur:  We have a board member who rolls their eyes, sighs, shrugs their shoulders or grimaces while others are speaking. How can this be addressed? Answer: The rules of parliamentary procedure, and specifically Robert’s Rules of Order, require that all members of a body show courtesy and respect. We suggest requesting that the board…

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When public pressure is intense, what can you do?

By Ann Macfarlane / January 21, 2021 /
A woman in a green turtleneck holds her glasses and touches her temple, appearing to have a headache or be stressed, likely due to public pressure, with a blurred background.

At a recent workshop, a director from a school board split by pandemic-related decisions asked me what board members can do in the face of intense public pressure. These are tough times for local non-partisan government bodies, for sure. Here are some thoughts about what can be done. Download PDF Listen to your constituents, while…

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