March 22, 2025 • 8 mins
In this episode, we dive deep into Robert’s Rules of Order, explaining how it works, why it’s essential for structured meetings, and how leaders can easily learn the basics. Plus, discover the story of Henry Martyn Robert, the man behind this widely-used system.
Host: Paul Falavolito
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Host: Paul Falavolito
Connect with me on your favorite social media platform.
- Now on https://paulfalavolito.substac... and https://discord.gg/UchmWeVP
Free Leadership Resources
http://www.paulfalavolito.com/
Exclusive 7 Minute Leadership Merch
http://linktr.ee/paulfalavolit...
Bookstore:
- Get your copy on Amazon: https://bit.ly/48J8zFG
- Get your copy at Book Baby: https://bit.ly/3P8iFsU
For the best aviator sunglasses on the market, use the link below to get 10% off Flying Eyes. Discount Code: PFAV
https://flyingeyesoptics.com/e...
Subscribe and listen to all of my podcast shows:
- The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast
- 1 PAPA FOXTROT - General Aviation Podcast
- The DailyPfav
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
performance through strong human relations, team building, and goal achieving.
This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host
Paul Fellovledo.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
It's episode two eighty six. Today let's talk about something
that every leader should understand, and that's Robert's Rules of Order.
This system has been used for over a century to
ensure that meetings are fair, productive and structured. Whether you're
(00:42):
leading a board meeting, running in nonprofit, or managing a team,
knowing how to conduct meetings properly is a crucial leadership skill.
So in this episode, I'm going to break down what
Roberts rules of order is, why it's important, how you
can learn it and start applying it today, and finally,
exactly who was Robert? So what is Robert's rules of Order?
(01:07):
In simple terms, Robert's Rules of Order is a structured
system for running meetings efficiently and fairly. Utilizing parliamentary procedure.
It ensures that discussions stay on track, that everyone gets
a voice, and that decisions are made in an organized way.
It's used in government, corporate boardrooms, nonprofits, unions and even
(01:29):
small community organizations. Meetings, especially when emotions run high or
decisions are controversial, can easily become disorganized. People talk over
each other, topics go off track, and no real progress
gets made. Robert's Rules provides a step by step guide
(01:49):
on how to introduce, discuss, and vote on issues so
that the meetings stay focused and productive. It's essentially the
parliamentary procedure or for any group that needs to make
decisions together. And while it might seem formal at first,
its purpose is to bring clarity, fairness, and efficiency to
(02:10):
decision making. So why is it important? Without structure, meetings
can quickly spiral into chaos. I'm sure we've all sat
through meetings where one or two people dominate the conversation,
discussions drag on with no resolution, or decisions get made
without proper input. Roberts Rules fixes that by ensuring number
(02:32):
one orderly discussions. Everyone gets a chance to speak without interruptions.
Number two fair decision making. Votes are taken properly so
that decisions reflect the will of the group, not just
the loudest voices. Number three efficiency Meetings don't drag on unnecessarily,
and every topic is addressed in a structured way. Number
(02:55):
four is the protection of minority opinions. The majority ultimately
rules through voting, minority voices still get heard and considered.
And last is consistency. Every meeting follows a predictable format,
making the more productive and professional. When you implement Robert's rules,
(03:16):
you're not just enforcing structure. You're creating a culture of
respect and accountability in your organization, and that is what
great leadership is all about. Most organizations include some kind
of a blurb about adopting Roberts Rules as their official
parliamentary procedure in their bylaws or their SOPs. So how
(03:37):
do you learn Robert's rules of order? And I know
what you might be thinking. This sounds complicated, and to
be fair, the full book on Roberts Rules is over
seven hundred pages long. But don't worry. You don't need
to know the entire rule book to benefit from it.
So here's how you get started. Step one, just learn
(03:57):
the basic motions that the heart of Roberts Rules is
the concept of motions. These are formal proposals for the
group to take action on something. Some of the most
common motions include the main motion, and this is the
main topic or issue being proposed for discussion, So it
would sound something like, I'd like to make a motion
(04:19):
to purchase a new computer chair for one hundred and
fifty dollars. The next one is an amendment, a proposal
to change the wording of emotion before voting on it.
I'd like to make an amendment to the motion. I'd
like to make a motion to purchase a new computer
chair not to exceed one hundred and fifty dollars. And
(04:40):
the third one is a point of order, and this
is used when someone believes the rules are not being followed,
and it would sound like, mister or madam chairman, point
of order, did we take role call properly? And fourth
is call the question, and this is used to end
debates and bring the issue to a vote. Think long
discussions taking place, You can call out call the question
(05:02):
to end the debate and force the vote. And the
last one is table the motion, and this is temporarily
setting aside a discussion to be handled later. And it
would sound like, due to finances, we're going to table
the motion to purchase the new computer chair. Understanding just
these five types of motions will already make a huge
(05:23):
difference in how you run meetings. Step two is the
basic meeting structure. Most meetings using Roberts rolls follow this
standard structure. The call to order. This is when the
meeting officially begins, the approval of minutes, reviewing and approving
notes from the last meeting, and then reports and these
(05:44):
are updates from officers, committees, or special projects. And then
you move on to old business, and this is topics
carried over from the previous meeting, followed by new business,
the introduction of new topics or motions, any announcement, any
last minute updates or reminders, followed by the adjournment, the
official closing to the meeting. Following this order keeps things
(06:09):
moving and prevents distractions from taking over. Step three is
just use a cheat sheet. One of the best ways
to learn Robert's rules is to use a quick reference guide.
You don't need to memorize everything. Just keep a simple
chart handy during meetings so you can refer to it
when needed. And you can buy these on Amazon as
(06:30):
well as an abbreviated version of the main Roberts Rules
of Order book, or just google it. You'll find plenty
of little cheat sheets. Step four practice in small settings.
Start using Robert's rules in smaller, low stakes meetings before
trying it in a large, high pressure setting. Even just
(06:50):
implementing small pieces like structured voting and limiting side conversations
can immediately improve meetings. So who was Henry Martin? Robert
was a US Army officer in the nineteenth century. In
eighteen sixty three, he was asked to run a public
meeting and found it to be a complete disaster. Everyone
(07:14):
was talking at once, no one knew how to make
a decision, and there was no order whatsoever. That experience
inspired him to create a set of standardized rules that
anyone could follow to run fair and efficient meetings. In
eighteen seventy six, he published Robert's Rules of Order, and
over time it became the gold standard for organizational meetings worldwide.
(07:38):
His goal was simple to create a system that allows
groups to make decisions efficiently while respecting every participant's voice. So,
if you're in a leadership position, whether in business, nonprofit, government,
or community groups, you'll be involved in meetings, and your
ability to run those meetings will determine how effective you're
(08:00):
leadership is. Understanding Robert's Rules isn't about being overly formal.
It's about creating clarity, fairness, accountability in decision making. So
if you've ever been frustrated by unproductive meetings, now is
the time to take action. Learn the basics, apply them
where they make sense, and watch your meetings become smoother,
(08:20):
more respectful, and more effective. This has been the seven
Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
For more, Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot
com
Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
performance through strong human relations, team building, and goal achieving.
This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host
Paul Fellovledo.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
It's episode two eighty six. Today let's talk about something
that every leader should understand, and that's Robert's Rules of Order.
This system has been used for over a century to
ensure that meetings are fair, productive and structured. Whether you're
(00:42):
leading a board meeting, running in nonprofit, or managing a team,
knowing how to conduct meetings properly is a crucial leadership skill.
So in this episode, I'm going to break down what
Roberts rules of order is, why it's important, how you
can learn it and start applying it today, and finally,
exactly who was Robert? So what is Robert's rules of Order?
(01:07):
In simple terms, Robert's Rules of Order is a structured
system for running meetings efficiently and fairly. Utilizing parliamentary procedure.
It ensures that discussions stay on track, that everyone gets
a voice, and that decisions are made in an organized way.
It's used in government, corporate boardrooms, nonprofits, unions and even
(01:29):
small community organizations. Meetings, especially when emotions run high or
decisions are controversial, can easily become disorganized. People talk over
each other, topics go off track, and no real progress
gets made. Robert's Rules provides a step by step guide
(01:49):
on how to introduce, discuss, and vote on issues so
that the meetings stay focused and productive. It's essentially the
parliamentary procedure or for any group that needs to make
decisions together. And while it might seem formal at first,
its purpose is to bring clarity, fairness, and efficiency to
(02:10):
decision making. So why is it important? Without structure, meetings
can quickly spiral into chaos. I'm sure we've all sat
through meetings where one or two people dominate the conversation,
discussions drag on with no resolution, or decisions get made
without proper input. Roberts Rules fixes that by ensuring number
(02:32):
one orderly discussions. Everyone gets a chance to speak without interruptions.
Number two fair decision making. Votes are taken properly so
that decisions reflect the will of the group, not just
the loudest voices. Number three efficiency Meetings don't drag on unnecessarily,
and every topic is addressed in a structured way. Number
(02:55):
four is the protection of minority opinions. The majority ultimately
rules through voting, minority voices still get heard and considered.
And last is consistency. Every meeting follows a predictable format,
making the more productive and professional. When you implement Robert's rules,
(03:16):
you're not just enforcing structure. You're creating a culture of
respect and accountability in your organization, and that is what
great leadership is all about. Most organizations include some kind
of a blurb about adopting Roberts Rules as their official
parliamentary procedure in their bylaws or their SOPs. So how
(03:37):
do you learn Robert's rules of order? And I know
what you might be thinking. This sounds complicated, and to
be fair, the full book on Roberts Rules is over
seven hundred pages long. But don't worry. You don't need
to know the entire rule book to benefit from it.
So here's how you get started. Step one, just learn
(03:57):
the basic motions that the heart of Roberts Rules is
the concept of motions. These are formal proposals for the
group to take action on something. Some of the most
common motions include the main motion, and this is the
main topic or issue being proposed for discussion, So it
would sound something like, I'd like to make a motion
(04:19):
to purchase a new computer chair for one hundred and
fifty dollars. The next one is an amendment, a proposal
to change the wording of emotion before voting on it.
I'd like to make an amendment to the motion. I'd
like to make a motion to purchase a new computer
chair not to exceed one hundred and fifty dollars. And
(04:40):
the third one is a point of order, and this
is used when someone believes the rules are not being followed,
and it would sound like, mister or madam chairman, point
of order, did we take role call properly? And fourth
is call the question, and this is used to end
debates and bring the issue to a vote. Think long
discussions taking place, You can call out call the question
(05:02):
to end the debate and force the vote. And the
last one is table the motion, and this is temporarily
setting aside a discussion to be handled later. And it
would sound like, due to finances, we're going to table
the motion to purchase the new computer chair. Understanding just
these five types of motions will already make a huge
(05:23):
difference in how you run meetings. Step two is the
basic meeting structure. Most meetings using Roberts rolls follow this
standard structure. The call to order. This is when the
meeting officially begins, the approval of minutes, reviewing and approving
notes from the last meeting, and then reports and these
(05:44):
are updates from officers, committees, or special projects. And then
you move on to old business, and this is topics
carried over from the previous meeting, followed by new business,
the introduction of new topics or motions, any announcement, any
last minute updates or reminders, followed by the adjournment, the
official closing to the meeting. Following this order keeps things
(06:09):
moving and prevents distractions from taking over. Step three is
just use a cheat sheet. One of the best ways
to learn Robert's rules is to use a quick reference guide.
You don't need to memorize everything. Just keep a simple
chart handy during meetings so you can refer to it
when needed. And you can buy these on Amazon as
(06:30):
well as an abbreviated version of the main Roberts Rules
of Order book, or just google it. You'll find plenty
of little cheat sheets. Step four practice in small settings.
Start using Robert's rules in smaller, low stakes meetings before
trying it in a large, high pressure setting. Even just
(06:50):
implementing small pieces like structured voting and limiting side conversations
can immediately improve meetings. So who was Henry Martin? Robert
was a US Army officer in the nineteenth century. In
eighteen sixty three, he was asked to run a public
meeting and found it to be a complete disaster. Everyone
(07:14):
was talking at once, no one knew how to make
a decision, and there was no order whatsoever. That experience
inspired him to create a set of standardized rules that
anyone could follow to run fair and efficient meetings. In
eighteen seventy six, he published Robert's Rules of Order, and
over time it became the gold standard for organizational meetings worldwide.
(07:38):
His goal was simple to create a system that allows
groups to make decisions efficiently while respecting every participant's voice. So,
if you're in a leadership position, whether in business, nonprofit, government,
or community groups, you'll be involved in meetings, and your
ability to run those meetings will determine how effective you're
(08:00):
leadership is. Understanding Robert's Rules isn't about being overly formal.
It's about creating clarity, fairness, accountability in decision making. So
if you've ever been frustrated by unproductive meetings, now is
the time to take action. Learn the basics, apply them
where they make sense, and watch your meetings become smoother,
(08:20):
more respectful, and more effective. This has been the seven
Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
For more, Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot
com
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