There are a lot of rules in the world of board meeting. It’s good practice, since it ensures that discussions are fair and productive. The amount of rules to follow is overwhelming, especially for a first-time or even experienced chair. In this article, we will look at seven of the most important board meeting rules that are crucial to achieving constructive dialogue and positive results.
Rule 1: Order of precedence must be observed.
The board chairperson has to ensure that discussions remain focused on the items on their agenda. Everyone has a responsibility to respect and listen to the opinions of others. To speak, a member must rise or raise their hand to notify the chairperson they wish to speak. The chairperson then allows the member to express their opinion. The chairperson should also follow Robert’s Rules of Order when deciding which motions are more important and how to identify them (e.g. by raising your hand or asking permission).
Rule 2: One item at the same time is discussed.
In the midst of new topics, board meetings take up valuable time and distract attention from the most important topics. To mitigate this issue the board’s leader can include a „parking boardmeetingpro.net/simple-ways-of-defining-an-ethical-decision-in-your-profession/ lot” at the end of the agenda where they can present topics that are worthy but not top priority. The board member can make a promise to revisit the parking lot and decide whether these issues should be added on the next agenda, moved to a later meeting, or delegated as the task.