What Do Meetings Follow Under Robert's Rules of Order?

 Maintaining order and ensuring the agenda's seamless implementation is essential for a meeting. Adopting a set of guidelines is one of the most popular ways to achieve this. This ensures efficiency as each item on the agenda is completed and provides each participant with a structure for how the meeting will proceed. Robert's Rules of Order is one set of guidelines still used today.

What Are the Rules of Robert's Order?

A book called Robert's Rules of Order, first published in 1876, describes how to conduct a formal meeting. The regulations' primary section deals with motions and how they are carried out. The direct action to introduce a new item is one of the six activities listed in Robert's Rules of Order. 

These are the additional motions:

• To alter how significant movements are handled, a subsidiary motion is used.
• It is customary to use privileged signs for urgent but unrelated matters.
• An accidental indication calls into question how other activities should be handled.
• A move to the table effectively puts a halt to the proposed action.
• Voting is put off until after a move to postpone is approved.

You need to be familiar with the processes now that you know the different motion types. A person must stand or raise their hand to the chairperson to approve a motion. A third person may then second the movement by raising their hand or standing for the chairperson's recognition. The chairperson will repeat the action for everyone to hear following the move and the second.

The discussion can then continue with participants respectfully conversing with one another. After the debate is finished, a vote must be held. The motion will be read before being put to a vote. The move will be put to a vote, with the chairperson reading the results after that.

The opening and closing of meetings are also covered by motions, which are one of the most crucial aspects of Robert's Rules of Order. There are also guidelines for unusual situations that call for adjourning meetings early or extending their duration.

Robert's Rules of Order: Why Are They Used?

Because of their widespread acceptability, businesses and governmental organisations frequently use Robert's Rules of Order. So many entities already follow the regulations that new ones can readily adopt. It is only a matter of tradition and sticking with what has worked. 

Since every aspect of meetings and procedures is covered in the book, adopting the rules as written is significantly more straightforward for an entity than writing its own. A brief look at the text should provide an answer if a query about how to proceed with a problem occurs during a meeting.

It also establishes the time limit for a meeting and the appropriate language to use when introducing a motion. The choice of words may not be necessary, yet doing so avoids any decision-making ambiguity.

Maintaining civility and order is a crucial aspect of Robert's Rules of Order. When multiple passionate attendees want to speak, a meeting can quickly become a yelling fight. The Rules of Order provide detailed instructions on expressing a desire to talk and how it is acknowledged and carried out. This guarantees that the speaker will have everyone's full attention.

It's a widespread misperception that a meeting's rules of order take the role of an agenda. Meeting rules dictate the formal procedure for carrying out a meeting agenda. Thus this is different. You may still conduct the meeting however you choose.

Robert's Rules of Order: Pros and Cons

Even though Robert's Rules of Order is a well-liked option for meetings, you should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages before deciding. 

One of their main advantages is that the Rules of Order are pretty detailed and cover many situations. They also go over what to do if these circumstances do occur. However, given the volume of instances covered in this book, which clocks in at roughly 700 pages, it could be challenging to get the answer for your specific circumstance.

Another advantage is that many people already understand the book's fundamental principles because it has been around for such a long time and is extensively used. As a result, you might find meeting participants more receptive and knowledgeable than you would if you went with a less well-known strategy.

You will have to deal with the complexity of reading it and its length. The original book was written more than a century ago, and it may be challenging to understand due to the English style and grammar.

Finally, if Robert's Rules of Order need to be more formal for your purposes, consider using different meeting procedures. The regulations are effective for large board meetings or government processes, but for smaller boards or firms, their formality may make the session run longer than needed.

Robert's Rules of Order alternatives

Don't worry if you're unsure whether Robert's Rules of Order are appropriate. Depending on the types of meetings you'll hold, two standard options that are significantly more streamlined might be a better fit.

Businesses that desire a set of regulations but do not require the complexity of Robert's Rules can consider the Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure. The code does not address all of the circumstances within it and is just slightly longer than Robert's Rules. Another advantage is that it is written in a more approachable, contemporary style.

Atwood's Rules for Meetings, which put less emphasis on a chairman's authority and more on majority votes, is another option. Otherwise, the meeting is conducted in a manner that is quite similar to Robert's Rules of Order.