Success is just a Script away

Little Ben says:  Be a great President.  Use a meeting script!

Mr. McConnell always says that he can take anyone who has never presided, and make them look like a pro!  His little secret is a meeting script.  If you have ever read a play or had a part in a play, you know what a script looks like.  It has dialogue and stage directions.  A meeting script does the same.  It turns the agenda into a script for the presiding officer.  Stage directions include italic directions for the presiding officer.  For example, a common event on a script is reading and approving the meetings.  The president’s script would look like this:

President:  The first business in order is the reading of the minutes from the previous meeting.  Will the secretary read the minutes? (Sit down while secretary reads the minutes.  When minutes are read ask) Are there any corrections?  (If there are no corrections state:) Hearing none, the minutes are approved as read. (If there are corrections ask:)Is there any objection to making the correction?  Hearing none, the minutes are approved as corrected. (If there is an objection, then take a vote on the correction:  All those in favor of the correction say “aye.” Those opposed say “no”.  Then announce the vote.  Either the ayes have it and the correction is approved or the noes have it and the correction is not approved.)

The great thing about a script is that the president can practice it prior to the meeting. Another great point is that a person who does not know how to preside can look like a pro just by reading the script.  Scripted meetings go faster, smoother, and orderly.  No time is wasted and members get to go home early.   And finally the president looks and acts presidential and earns the respect of the members.

There is a complete sample script in Appendix B of the new edition of Webster’s New World Robert’s Rules of Order Simplified and Applied, 3rd edition.  

To learn more about this, click here.