Lessons from a symposium - Eli Mina

I attended a symposium on human resources issues for libraries.  Here's what I learned.

Presentation by parliamentarian Eli Mina:

• When raising points of order or otherwise enforcing Rules of Order: only be a stickler for the rules when you are protecting people's rights or the end results.  (Don't be too fussy)
• Shift from a negative focus to affirmative - ask not what to forbid, but what to achieve.  "Propose, don't oppose."  
• Defend the process, don't criticize the person.  Keeping correction impersonal makes it easier to deliver and easier to take.  A good impersonal question when someone is off on a tangent: "Where are we on the agenda?"
• Objectives:  ORDER - FOCUS - EFFICIENCY - EQUALITY - DECORUM - SAFETY.
• Equal time tactic: No one speaks a second time on a topic while others are waiting to speak for their first time.

• Who decides?  MONARCHY = one decides, ANARCHY = no one decides, DEMOCRACY = all decide.
• "Any objection to _? "  (How a chair or other can quickly look for unanimous consent, which eliminates need for voting)
• Policy direction = board, professional expertise = staff, public input = community.
• Board debates, CEO informs.
• "Green bananas" - things that come up e.g. in a meeting, that are decided on too quickly.  When something comes up that requires more fulsome consideration, play for time - table it until the next meeting.  Or take a meeting break to gain a moment to think and plan.