meeting management

Avoiding amygdala hijack

By Ann Macfarlane / September 3, 2015 / Comments Off on Avoiding amygdala hijack
drawing of amygdala

My nephew was visiting us last weekend when he was hijacked. One moment, he was an affable, engaged and charming member of the family — the next, a seething mass of rage and anguish. I reacted with compassion. I knew that he doesn’t yet have the skills to prevent his amygdala from taking over. But…

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My board is too nice

By Ann Macfarlane / April 17, 2015 / Comments Off on My board is too nice

At a recent family party, as we enjoyed summer pasta salad and delicious cheeses, a guest and I chatted about Jurassic Parliament. We were discussing boards of directors when she made this off-hand comment: “My board is too nice.”

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What are Robert’s Rules and why should we care about them?

By Ann Macfarlane / April 14, 2015 / Comments Off on What are Robert’s Rules and why should we care about them?
photo of Robert impersonator

Updated November 19, 2022 Henry Martyn Robert, an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, published the original Robert’s Rules of Order in 1876. He wanted to help people who were working together in voluntary groups to run good meetings. Over a century later we still have problems running good meetings. Robert’s Rules and…

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