Cochran, Alice Collier

English

Dominican Scholar

Dominican Scholar Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship Faculty and Staff Scholarship 2009 Who is Robert? Why Do We Still Follow His Meeting Rules, Anyway? Alice Collier Cochran Barowsky School of Business, Dominican University of California, alice.cochran@dominican.edu Survey: Let us know how this paper benefits you. Recommended Citation Cochran, Alice Collier, "Who is Robert? Why Do We Still Follow His Meeting Rules, Anyway?" (2009). Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship. 253. https://scholar.dominican.edu/all-faculty/253 This Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty and Staff Scholarship at Dominican Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Dominican Scholar. For more information, please contact michael.pujals@dominican.edu. Who Is Robert?  Why do we still follow his meeting rules, anyway?IGNITE™ – Novato Chamber of Commerce- Leadership NovatoAlice Collier Cochran, M.Ed.Author of Roberta’s Rules of Order, Jossey-Bass.com,and QuickStart Guide to Roberta’s Rules of OrderAlice@RobertasRules.org How many of you plan or attend nonprofit meetings? Have you ever been unclear what was meant by a motion - or why people are “seconding”it? When someone says “we follow Robert’s Rules” have you ever wondered, who IS Robert?cartoon      Method of control for “deliberative assemblies” Formal (no individual first names) Motions (solutions) are presented  Debate is encouragedWhat’s parliamentary procedure?When is this useful?Large groups of unruly people trying to make decisions Parliament Congress Congregations Annual meetings Neighbors, in large numbersWhen is this method NOT advised? Small groups of “about a dozen” people Decision making groups wanting to reach consensus - or strive for it Groups that want informality and flexibility Debate Destroys Dialogue Robert’s Rules encourage debate (win/lose) Debate is on a “motion” - a proposed solution or direction There is often no agreement on the problemProblem before Solution When groups make decisions, agreement on the problem is the first step… If you can’t get agreement on the problem, it will be _________ to get agreement on the solution. (Interaction Associates)Beware of “rogue motions”, like rogue waves they can catch you off guard and be dangerous.From Robert’s Shore  To Roberta’s Shore-Formality -Informality-Strict Rules -Guidelines and Agreements-One Method Fits All -Flexible by Culture-For English/European Males -For A Pluralistic SocietyTACKING TO SHIFT SHORESTACKING TO SHIFT SHORES From Robert’s Shore To Roberta’s ShoreWin/Lose Voting -Encourage Win/Win Debate Dialogue and ConversationMotions Preceding Motions with Proposals that include “the problem”Elements of Roberta’s Rules Make it simple and relaxed (food) Use an agenda with outcomes and times (min.) Help people get to know each other (trust) Encourage conversation (dialogue) Provide maximum eye contact  (seating)Seating in the MeetingLeader in the MiddleSuggested  Courtesy Guidelines Share the “airtime” by keeping remarks to ___ minutes at a time Limit the “volleys” to two between 2-3 people Stay focused on the agenda – create a list for other topics.A Few More…SummaryHenry Robert had good intentionsHe was a product of his time and trainingNew, more modern methods can be used in most meetingsRoberta’s Rules is only one way… find what works best for your group. But For Goodness Sake, Dump the Gavel Overboard

Who is Robert? Why Do We Still Follow His Meeting Rules, Anyway?

https://scholar.dominican.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1255&context=all-faculty

Who is Robert? Why Do We Still Follow His Meeting Rules, Anyway?

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Dominican Scholar