The evolution of technology is changing the way the boards functioned, historically. Over past decades, board members hand-wrote meeting dates in their date books and carved out time in their schedules for meetings, adding in extra time for traveling. Executive committee members had to allow time for an extra meeting in their schedules. Technology has…
The board of the ABC Corporation formed an ad hoc committee to explore ways to address cyber risk for company emails. The committee completed their research and recommended that the company contract with one of three cyber risk protection companies—each with different packages for protection levels and costs. The board had not yet acted on…
Are your board members complaining behind closed doors? Are they frustrated that some board members are not prepared? Do they feel like their input is being overshadowed by a few outspoken members? These are some of the common complaints by board members who feel that board meetings are just a waste of time. Board member…
Every board benefits by having a slate of board members that has a diverse background of experience, talent, and ability. One of the most common strengths among them is leadership. When the board faces conflicting viewpoints and complex problems, strong leadership is the driving force behind addressing them in a diligent, comprehensive manner.
What happens when a board member makes a motion and it needs to be modified? What happens when another member brings up valid reasons to postpone acting on the motion? What if the board does not have enough information to make a decisive vote? In any of these situations, the vote can’t take place before…
The uniqueness of each organization and its board calls for flexibility surrounding parliamentary procedure. Incidental motions provide a way for members to take a strict view of the rules, to relax the rules when needed, and to establish a way to handle a particular matter. When a member makes a motion that is in direct…
Imagine a handbook that covers every possible board situation that could come up at any profit or nonprofit organization. The book would be volumes upon volumes. It’s for this reason that Robert’s Rules allows some room for organizations to be flexible, under certain circumstances, and with specific rules. Main motions are the primary mechanism that…
If you asked anyone how board members make and pass motions at a board meeting, most people could give the basic protocol for a main motion. A board member makes a motion; another member seconds it; the board chair calls for the yeas and nays; and the motion passes or fails. It sounds pretty simplistic,…
Is it better to have several vacant board seats than to have those same seats filled by ineffective board members? Is it better to risk giving a “yea” vote to a board candidate that could generate divisiveness among the board than to leave the seat vacant? There are no easy answers to either question. Yet,…
As board members arrive at the board meeting, they may not be aware of how many hours the board secretary has already put in to prepare for the board meeting. The board secretary has five main duties to prepare for a board meeting:
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