There are a lot of rules in the world of board meetings. This is a great thing as it ensures the discussions are productive and fair. The number of rules is overwhelming, especially for a first-time or even experienced chair. In this article, we take a look at seven of the most important rules for meeting on the board which are essential to ensure constructive dialogue and achieving results.
Rule 1: The order of precedence must always be observed.
The chairman of the board must ensure that the discussion remains focused on the issues on the agenda. It is the duty of every member to respect and listen to the opinions of fellow members. In order to speak the member must stand or raise their hands to indicate to the chairperson that they are willing to do so. The chairperson then allows the member to express their opinion. The chairperson should also follow Robert’s Rules of Order when deciding what types of motions are more important and how to recognize them (e.g., by raising your hand or by asking permission).
Rule 2: One point at an time is considered.
Be distracted by new topics, board my site meetings take up valuable time and divert attention away from the most important topics. To prevent this from happening, the board leader could include an “parking area” at the end of the meeting where they can push important topics that are not the most important ones. The board leader can then agree to revisit the parking area and consider whether these issues should be added to the agenda for the next meeting, moved to a later meeting, or assigned as the task.