[Nfbmt] Meeting Protocol

[Bruce&Joy Breslauer]

Hi again.

 

Let's try this tonight at the chapter meeting and see how it works.

 

We all know the President runs the meeting and controls the pace of the
meeting, and tries to keep a balance between that control and letting ideas
flow more smoothly and freely.  Sometimes that works better than at other
times.  The risk is that conversation may become monopolized by someone,
other people may not get a chance to comment, or the conversation may drift
off topic or there may be cross talk, making it harder for others to hear
what is being said.  Sometimes things like this take up valuable time during
the meeting, and it goes longer than people have time or interest for.  So
there should be a maximum time for the meeting to take place, and usually an
hour max is plenty of time, especially if the meeting stays focused and on
topic.  I know I have chaired meetings that have gone over an hour as well,
so I'm not saying anything about that, but in my never-to-be-humble opinion
that is probably a good goal to strive for.

 

So, I have a suggestion.

When someone else is talking, please listen and don't say anything.

If you want to say something, say your name and wait for the President to
acknowledge that he or she has heard you by saying your name, and that is the
signal that you now have the floor and can speak.

If several people want the floor at once, the President will choose who will
speak first and then next, etc.  The President will try to be fair and give
the floor to the first person that asks for it, but honestly on a conference
call it may be given to the first person that the President hears, so
sometimes the quality of your phone connection might influence how well you
are heard.  If you want the floor and have not been acknowledged yet, please
don't be afraid to speak up and get the President's attention.  If you have
not been acknowledged and you want to speak, please say your name again after
the previous person has finished speaking and wait for the President to
acknowledge you by saying your name before you speak.  

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that cordless phones and cell phones may not
always come through well on a conference call, and speaker phones are
especially hard to hear.  In a larger group, it may help to put your phone on
mute so that other people don't have to hear you breathing or coughing or
watching TV or doing the dishes or yelling at your kids or dogs or
significant others while they're trying to listen to the meeting.  Then if
you have something to say, you can unmute.

 

Just some thoughts for us all to consider, me included.

 

Joy Breslauer, President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Address: P.O. Box 1325, Great Falls, MT 59403 

Phone: (406) 454-3096

Email: president at nfbofmt.org

Web Site: www.nfbofmt.org

 

Live the life you want 

 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

 

It's TIME to Eliminate Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities

http://www.nfb.org/TIME

 

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