Learning How To Run A Productive Meeting With ChatGPT

I talked to ChatGPT about how to run a successful meeting and received advice on how to use Robert's Rules of Order, a proven methodology for conducting productive meetings and improving the effectiveness of committees.

Here is that discussion:

Nik Edmiidz: I am a member of a not-for-profit association, and our committee meetings are chaos. Is there a methodology for conducting the meeting in a productive manner, that will also result in clear record-keeping, and history of decisions made?

ChatGPT: There are a few best practices that you can follow to help make your committee meetings more productive and ensure clear record-keeping:

Create an agenda: A well-planned agenda can help keep the meeting focused and ensure that all important topics are covered.

Follow Robert's Rules of Order: These rules provide a framework for conducting meetings and making decisions. They can help ensure that meetings are run fairly and that all members have an opportunity to participate.

Take minutes: Having a written record of the meeting can help keep track of decisions made and action items assigned.

Assign action items: Be sure to assign specific tasks or follow-up actions to individual members to help ensure that progress is made.

Follow up after the meeting: Follow up on any action items or decisions made during the meeting to ensure that progress is being made.

By following these best practices, you can help ensure that your committee meetings are productive, well-organized, and result in clear record-keeping.

Nik Edmiidz: Can Roberts rules of order be used in a committee meeting of only five people?

ChatGPT: Yes, Robert's Rules of Order can be used in a committee meeting of any size, including a meeting of just five people. The rules provide a framework for conducting meetings and making decisions that can be helpful in any size group.

That being said, it is important to keep in mind that the rules are intended to be flexible and can be adapted to the needs of the group. If the group is small and has a good working relationship, it may not be necessary to strictly follow all of the rules. However, if the group is larger or if there are any issues with communication or decision-making, following the rules more closely may be helpful in ensuring a fair and orderly process.

Nik Edmiidz: How might an agenda be formatted, for a meeting utilizing Roberts rules?

ChatGPT: There are a few key elements that you might include in an agenda for a meeting that follows Robert's Rules of Order:

Call to order: This is the formal opening of the meeting.

Roll call: This is a list of attendees, which can be used to determine whether a quorum (minimum number of members required for the meeting to be official) is present.

Reading of the minutes: This is a review of the minutes from the previous meeting, which can be approved or amended as needed.

Reports: This is a time for members to give updates on various topics or projects.

Old business: This is a time to discuss and take action on any outstanding items from previous meetings.

New business: This is a time to introduce and discuss new topics or issues.

Adjournment: This is the formal closing of the meeting.

You may also want to include additional items on the agenda, such as announcements or guest speakers, depending on the needs of the group. It can be helpful to prioritize items on the agenda and allocate specific time blocks for each item. This can help ensure that the meeting stays on track and that all important topics are covered.

Nik Edmiidz: What would be the best way to handle a meeting without a quorum?

ChatGPT: If a quorum (the minimum number of members required for a meeting to be official) is not present at a meeting, there are a few options for handling the situation:

Postpone the meeting: If it is not possible to reach a quorum, the meeting can be postponed to a later date when it is more likely that a quorum will be present.

Hold a non-voting meeting: If there is still a need to discuss important items, the group can hold a non-voting meeting. This can be a helpful way to gather input and share information, but no official decisions can be made.

Use alternative voting methods: If it is necessary to make decisions but a quorum is not present, the group can consider using alternative voting methods such as email or phone voting to reach a decision.

It is important to keep in mind that any decisions made without a quorum may not be considered official and may need to be revisited at a later meeting when a quorum is present.

Nik Edmiidz: When reading the minutes, how do you handle a situation where a member disagrees with the decision made in a previous minutes, even if the minutes was accurate in recording that decision?

ChatGPT: If a member disagrees with a decision recorded in the minutes of a previous meeting, they can bring this up during the reading of the minutes and request that the minutes be amended to reflect their disagreement. The group can then discuss the issue and decide whether to amend the minutes to reflect the member's disagreement or to leave the minutes as they are.

It is important to keep in mind that the minutes are meant to be a record of the decisions and actions taken at a meeting, rather than a transcript of everything that was said. As such, the minutes should accurately reflect the decisions that were made, even if not all members agreed with them. However, it is also important to ensure that the minutes accurately reflect the views and concerns of all members, so any disagreements should be noted.

Nik Edmiidz: I'm sorry I wasn't more clear, in this hypothetical situation the minutes accurately reflected the views and concerns of all members at the previous meeting. The member in question disagrees with the outcome of the previous meeting, not with the accuracy of the minutes. ChatGPT: If a member disagrees with the outcome of a previous meeting, but the minutes accurately reflect the views and concerns of all members at that meeting, the member can bring up their disagreement during the current meeting and request that the group revisit the issue. The group can then decide whether to revisit the issue and potentially reconsider the decision, or to reaffirm the previous decision.

It is important to keep in mind that the purpose of revisiting an issue is to consider new information or perspectives that may not have been available at the time of the original decision. If there is no new information to consider, it may be more appropriate to reaffirm the previous decision.

Nik Edmiidz: Please note that their objection was brought up during the reading of the minutes, and before reports, or old business. If we follow Robert's rules, what is the way to handle this out of turn interruption?

ChatGPT: According to Robert's Rules of Order, if a member wishes to raise an objection or a point of order (a challenge to the current procedure of the meeting) during the reading of the minutes or any other part of the meeting, they should first seek recognition from the chair. The chair can then decide whether to allow the interruption and address the issue, or to defer the issue until a later time.

If the chair decides to allow the interruption and address the issue, they can open the floor for discussion and allow the member to explain their disagreement. The group can then decide whether to revisit the issue and potentially reconsider the decision, or to reaffirm the previous decision.

It is important to keep in mind that interruptions to the agenda can disrupt the flow of the meeting and should be used sparingly. However, it is also important to ensure that all members have the opportunity to voice their concerns and have them addressed by the group.

Nik Edmiidz: What if the chair recommended for member or refrain from discussing the issue now, and instead raise it during new business?

ChatGPT: If the chair recommends that a member raise an issue during new business instead of addressing it immediately, the member has a few options:

Accept the recommendation and raise the issue during new business: The member can wait until the new business portion of the agenda to raise the issue and seek a reconsideration of the decision.

Make a motion to suspend the rules: The member can make a motion to suspend the rules of the meeting in order to allow the issue to be discussed immediately. If the motion is seconded and approved by a majority of the group, the rules of the meeting can be temporarily suspended and the issue can be discussed.

Make a motion to reconsider the decision: If the member believes that the issue is urgent and needs to be addressed immediately, they can make a motion to reconsider the previous decision. If the motion is seconded and approved by a majority of the group, the previous decision can be revisited and potentially revised.

It is important to keep in mind that interrupting the agenda and suspending the rules should be done sparingly, as it can disrupt the flow of the meeting and may not be the most efficient way to address the issue. However, it may be necessary in certain situations where an issue needs to be addressed immediately.

Nik Edmiidz: During the reports section of the meeting, if one of the sub-committee chairs, while giving their report, begins posing, open-ended questions, eating up time allotted for others to give their reports and next items in the agenda, how should the chair address this?

ChatGPT: If a sub-committee chair begins posing open-ended questions and taking up a significant amount of time during the reports section of the meeting, the chair can intervene to ensure that the meeting stays on track and that all members have an opportunity to speak. Here are a few steps the chair can take:

Interrupt and request that the sub-committee chair move on: The chair can politely interrupt the sub-committee chair and request that they move on to the next item on the agenda.

Set time limits for reports: The chair can set a time limit for each report or presentation to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak and that the meeting stays on track.

Use a timer: The chair can use a timer or other visual cue to signal when the time for a report or presentation is coming to an end.

Use your gavel: If the sub-committee chair continues to speak despite being asked to move on, the chair can use their gavel to signal that the discussion is over and to move on to the next item on the agenda.

It is important for the chair to be firm but fair in enforcing time limits and keeping the meeting on track. By setting clear expectations and enforcing them consistently, the chair can help ensure that the meeting runs smoothly and efficiently.

Nik Edmiidz: If member 1 begins speaking on an issue, which appears to others to be a new issue, and member 2 interrupts the meeting to ask if the issue can be moved to new business, how should the chair handle this?

ChatGPT: If member 1 begins speaking on an issue that appears to be a new issue and member 2 interrupts the meeting to ask if the issue can be moved to new business, the chair can follow these steps:

Recognize member 2: The chair should recognize member 2 and allow them to explain their request.

Determine if the issue is a new issue: The chair should listen to member 1's comments and determine if the issue being discussed is indeed a new issue or if it is related to an issue that has already been discussed.

If the issue is new, consider a motion to suspend the rules: If the issue being discussed is indeed a new issue, the chair can consider a motion to suspend the rules of the meeting in order to allow the issue to be discussed. If the motion is seconded and approved by a majority of the group, the rules of the meeting can be temporarily suspended and the new issue can be discussed.

If the issue is not new, continue with the discussion: If the issue being discussed is related to an issue that has already been discussed, the chair can allow the discussion to continue.

It is important for the chair to be fair and impartial in addressing interruptions and determining whether an issue is new or related to a previous issue. By following a consistent process, the chair can help ensure that the meeting runs smoothly and that all members have an opportunity to be heard.

Nik Edmiidz: If a member makes a motion to adjourn, and it is seconded, what are the next steps?

ChatGPT: If a member makes a motion to adjourn and it is seconded, the chair should put the motion to a vote. The chair should ask the group if there are any objections to the motion and allow any members who wish to speak to do so. If there are no objections or further discussion, the chair should then ask for a vote on the motion.

If the motion to adjourn is approved by a majority of the group, the chair should declare the meeting adjourned and bring the meeting to a close. If the motion is not approved, the meeting will continue as scheduled.

It is important for the chair to follow proper procedures for adjourning the meeting to ensure that the meeting is conducted fairly and that all members have an opportunity to participate.

Nik Edmiidz: If there are three objections to the motion to adjourn, what should the chair do?

ChatGPT: If there are three objections to a motion to adjourn, the chair should allow the members who have raised objections to explain their reasoning. The chair should listen to the objections and determine whether there are any valid reasons for continuing the meeting or whether the objections are simply delaying tactics.

If the chair determines that the objections are valid and there is still important business to be conducted, the chair should ask the group if there are any further objections to the motion to adjourn and allow any members who wish to speak to do so. If there are no further objections, the chair should put the motion to a vote.

If the motion to adjourn is approved by a majority of the group, the chair should declare the meeting adjourned and bring the meeting to a close. If the motion is not approved, the meeting will continue as scheduled.

It is important for the chair to follow proper procedures for adjourning the meeting and to ensure that all members have an opportunity to participate. The chair should also be mindful of the time constraints of the group and avoid unnecessarily prolonging the meeting.

Nik Edmiidz: Please give me a brief summary of what we discussed about running a productive meeting. Here is a brief summary of some key points to consider when running a productive meeting:

Create an agenda: A well-planned agenda can help keep the meeting focused and ensure that all important topics are covered.

Follow Robert's Rules of Order: These rules provide a framework for conducting meetings and making decisions. They can help ensure that meetings are run fairly and that all members have an opportunity to participate.

Take minutes: Having a written record of the meeting can help keep track of decisions made and action items assigned.

Assign action items: Be sure to assign specific tasks or follow-up actions to individual members to help ensure that progress is made.

Follow up after the meeting: Follow up on any action items or decisions made during the meeting to ensure that progress is being made.

Stay on track: The chair should enforce time limits and keep the meeting on track to ensure that all important topics are covered and that the meeting is efficient and productive.

By following these best practices, you can help ensure that your meetings are productive, well-organized, and result in clear record-keeping.