A Municipal Council Member uses his knowledge of rules of order (parliamentary procedure) to advance proposals of questionable merit or to stall or block other initiatives. In another setting, the Board of charity looks for a way to circumvent its bylaws in order to forego a requirement to notify its members or the community of an upcoming contentious decision.
POTENTIAL DAMAGE
Using rules of order strategically to boost certain causes or block other means that the merits of a proposal become less important than the proponent’s knowledge of the rules. A low-grade proposal way be adopted not on its merits but because its proponent is procedurally savvy. Conversely, a high-quality proposal may be lost because its proponent does not know the rules. Clearly, these dynamics are highly flawed and undermine the goal of making quality decisions. They are not fair to individuals and are ultimately damaging to the organization.
Using a technical loophole to circumvent a fundamental requirement such as notice to the membership or the community is dishonest and manipulative and amounts to procedural trickery. The members will eventually expose this maneuver. The credibility of the Board will then be diminished, and restoring it will require a great deal of work.
REAL BOARD SOLUTIONS
Teach your Board that process should never overtake substance and suggest that members not use rules of order as weapons or manipulative tools. Have a frank conversation with members who attempt to get their way through procedural trickery. Explain that rules are intended to facilitate progress and engage members in shared decision making, as equal partners, and that their purpose is not to confuse, intimidate, manipulate, or bully others.
Avoid and refuse to tolerate the use of technical loopholes, especially when they compromise fundamental principles and offend the integrity of the decision-making process.
