Business Success Guide

Even though the most popular handbook of rules for modern meeting behavior is “Robert’s Rules of Order,” it seems that few people have skimmed the book, fewer still have read the book in depth, and fewer still understand how the rules work together as a whole.

As a result, a lot of misinformation is being perpetuated, from generation to generation, by oral tradition.

All seven “myths” listed below are false, according to the current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised” (11th edition, published by DaCapo Press, 2011). That is, the myth either has no textual support in Robert’s Rules, or is outright contradicted by Robert’s Rules.

However, the “myth” may be true for your organization if that parliamentary rule is contradicted by a superior rule, like one’s bylaws, constitution, articles of incorporation, or applicable state corporations code, since where a contradiction exists between rules, the superior rule prevails over the conflicting rule in one’s parliamentary authority.

How many of these seven “myths” have you heard? How many have you believed?

1.) An installation ceremony must be held before the newly elected officers may serve.
False. Officers take their office upon election being final. No delay is necessary.

2.) A “vote of no confidence” removes an officer from office.
False. A vote of no confidence (or a vote of confidence) removes no one from office. It may express an opinion, but nothing more.

3.) It is proper for the nominees/candidates to be ordered to leave the meeting room when an election is about to begin.
False. A member cannot be ordered to leave a room, except via a disciplinary measure.

4.) A person who is absent cannot be nominated, and cannot be elected.
False. A person can be nominated in absentia. If elected, the absentee electee must give his assent before the election is to be considered final. If the absentee electee declines the office, the election is considered incomplete, and another round of balloting is in order.

5.) After a committee report, it is proper for someone to move, “That the committee report be accepted.”
False. If a report contains a recommendation, then the recommendation itself is moved, not the entire text of the report. Some reports contain no recommendations. Such reports need no extra motion, since the report is to be filed automatically by the secretary into the proper archive. However, exceptions to this general practice are possible, such as a historian’s report, where the entire text of the report is indeed intended to be officially adopted as the official statement of the organization, despite containing no recommendations therein.

6.) Minutes must include the name of the seconder.
False. Minutes are not to include the name of seconders. Robert’s Rules of Order does say that the name of the mover is to be included for main motions, but not the name of any seconder.

7.) Minutes do not have to be taken in an executive session (also known as “in-camera session” or “secret session” or “closed meeting”).
False. Robert’s Rules of Order does say that such minutes are to be handled in a more secure fashion than regular minutes, such as being read and approved in executive sessio

There are many event planners, with a variety of different philosophies, approaches, and degrees of expertise. Organizations should carefully interview and come to a meeting of the minds with an individual before employing him to manage an important event. In my over three decades of being an event professional, having managed and overseen many hundreds of events, conferences, conventions, meetings, etc., I have come to the conclusion that the most important consideration an organization should have in deciding on the correct event professional for them is to carefully review the individual’s philosophy and approach. Does the event professional come in claiming to have all the answers, and seem to put everything into a one- size- fits- all type of approach, or does he want to customize the event to the needs and desires of the group?

1. Great event professionals must be superior effective listeners. A true event pro should be able to easily adapt to the needs of the group, and should spend far more time listening to the group and its volunteer and staff organizers than telling them what to do. What is the heritage of this organization? What is the purpose of this event? Has this event completely succeeded (probably not, or they would not be seeking an event pro), partially succeeded, or been going through a period of diminishing and disappointing results? What has been most effective in the past for the group, and what has been least well received? What is the single most important thing to this group? How important/ relevant of a factor is pricing? Does this group bring along non- member family members, etc., and is their programing for these people? How does the group handle the details, such as registrations, payments (lump sum, installments, form of payment, etc.), welcoming, package inclusions, etc.?

2. A true event professional begins by doing quite a bit of homework. He gets to know the intricate and relevant details of the organization, and tries to get a feeling and understanding for the heritage and the membership. He gets to understand the group’s vision and its goals. He studies past events they have held, and what the trending has been. He gets to understand historic attendance trending, and tries to understand the nuances and specifics as it relates to this group. He does some interviewing of present leaders, past leaders, future leaders, past attendees, and potential attendees. In other words, he is prepared.

Great event pros do not try to impose their will or their way on the group. Rather, they combine their expertise with the groups needs and desires, and provides value to the group, in terms of organization, marketing, negotiations, planning, and implementation, as well as on- site oversight and supervision. When organizations select the event professional best suited for them, it invariably saves them hassles, time, money, energy and other resources.

Richard Brody,with over 30 years consultative sales,marketing,training,managerial, and operations experience,has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He’s a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.