Parliamentary Consulting

The purpose of a meeting is to take an action or make a decision toward the fulfillment of the mission, and meetings that have not made measurable progress toward that goal are a wasted resource. I can help you spend your time wisely, focusing on the issues rather than the mechanics of your meeting. Great meetings are no accident – they are the result of careful planning and attention to detail. Volunteers and staff members don’t have the expertise or the desire to expend on these tasks. That’s where I can be your secret weapon against frustration, confusion, and inefficiency. I am Colette Collier Trohan, Parliamentarian and parliamentary training is one of my specialties.

Perhaps the problems are deeper than organization of the meeting event itself. The clue might be in your governance documents, such as the bylaws or policies. A governance document review can expose problem areas or areas of potential danger in which a problem is lurking and waiting for a the most inopportune time to launch. These problem areas might not be easily seen by those who are too close to the situation, but a professional that has experience working with many different types of associations like me can find them and give you the tools you need to disarm them.

Good decision-making requires commitment, understanding, and discipline. The problem might not be with the paper, but with the people.The person presiding over the meeting needs to understand that role, and acquire a few special skills to keep the meeting on track. The members also need basic skills to make their participation more effective. The only way to acquire those skills is through training, and the only way to keep them is through practice. As new members come onto a board or into an assembly, an ongoing program of training and support will keep your deliberations at a high-impact level. I don’t have prefabricated workshops -- all of my training is customized to the specific needs and circumstances of my clients.

The most important task of members of an organization is to elect their board and/or officers. The integrity of the election process is fundamentally linked to stability and success. Safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the ballots are properly prepared, counted, and reported according to the unique rules and customs of the association. Problems with an election can cause discord long after the election has ended. The process is too important to delegate to someone with no experience or training, and if that delegation takes staff time away from the implementation of the association’s strategic objectives, double damage can be done. If members count your ballots on site at a meeting, I can train them how to get an accurate count and accurate report that everyone can trust.

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