Lost Art but still needed

Meetings are generally a waste of time and energy, often resulting in a verbal onslaught of opinions that may or may not be germane to the topic. I run meetings in a style that is similar to my personality, a little controlling while valuing others, informal, and informational. I prefer short meetings to the point that are productive and beneficial. But my style is not working. Time to change. This is a difficult acknowledgement however, in that I have spent a career in public school and higher education in various leadership capacities. I suppose success is debatable but I have achieved a modicum of success as a leader. Why is my system not longer effective?

There comes a time when a person can no longer be completely dependent on his or her own personality for success. Willpower, charisma, and personality can carry the day for only so long before they begin to crumble without a foundation. Recognizing that I and I alone cannot make a perfect meeting, I have decided it is time to use an established and effective system: Parliamentary Procedure. Not being a Thomas Jefferson fan (read earlier blog), I will admit that he did have some good ideas for meetings and wrote one of the first books on how to run a meeting, A Manual of Parliamentary Practice. The informal meeting approach works well when surrounded by supportive friends all working for the same goals, but a formal procedure is necessary for accomplishing the serious business and the goals of the group or institution. Granted that a strict procedure can be inhibiting of creative thought and may prevent some new idea from rising to the top. Yet given that imagination rarely flows effectively in group settings, it makes sense to formalize larger gatherings and focus attention on the broader needs.

Having completed training for parliamentary procedure, I am ready to run a meeting according to the rules. I believe this will prevent the verbal excess that tends to erupt in meetings and refocus attention on the goals at hand. Fearing that parliamentary procedure is a lost art, I intend to bring it back and use it to its finest and I further believe we will see growth in group dynamics and new ideas flourish through a system designed for effectiveness and productivity. Like great music, parliamentary procedure deserves to live and is as vital today as it was in Colonial times. Such is the way of a leader, recognize when it is time to change a system and do what needs to be done.