Board members are holding a meeting using parliamentary procedure.

Everything Boards Need to Know About Parliamentary Procedure (Part Two)

Welcome to another edition of All About It, the series where we take a closer look at the topics that fascinate us! In the second installment of our two-part deep dive on parliamentary procedure, we’ll take a closer look at the basic structure of parliamentary procedure and the role of parliamentarianism in the government and the corporate world. Let’s get started!

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Board members use parliamentary procedure in a board meeting.

Everything Boards Need to Know About Parliamentary Procedure (Part One)

The last article in our series, All About It — where we take an in-depth look at the topics that fascinate us the most — we discussed Robert’s Rules of Order. Robert’s Rules make up one of the most widely used frameworks for deliberation in the United States. Spend five minutes researching Robert’s Rules, and you’re bound to come across the term “parliamentary procedure”. But what exactly is parliamentary procedure? How does it relate to Robert’s Rules and governance as a whole? Let’s find out in the first installment of this two-part deep dive.

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A board of directors taking attendance.

Disclosing Director Attendance: Methods and Implications

Keeping up with new research in corporate governance is hard. Unfortunately, ignoring industry journals means missing out on opportunities to strengthen your board’s communication and increase its decision-making effectiveness. Our series, Research Recap, aims to change that. We give boards a snapshot of the latest findings and best practices, cutting straight to the chase and giving you only what you need to know. Without further ado, let’s get started!

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Board Members Using Pareto Analysis

The 80/20 Rule: Solving Board Problems with Pareto Analysis

The 80/20 Rule (also known as the “Pareto Principle”) is an incredibly useful tool for prioritization in problem-solving. Let’s pause for a brief second: it’s important to note up front that we are not exaggerating here. Yes, the steps to Pareto analysis are complicated. But we’ve walked you through a lot of decision-making and problem-solving tools before. We can confidently say that Pareto analysis is one of the most powerful tools boards can use to make strategic, well-informed decisions (second only to Directorpoint’s board management software, of course).

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Board Meeting Attendance by Outside Directors

Directors miss out by not reading up on the latest research and best practices in board governance. But, with all the demands of governing an organization, who’s got the time? Luckily, Research Recap — our series where we give you the need-to-knows from the world of academia — is here to help. We’re keeping things short and sweet, so let’s get started!

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Fishbone Diagrams in Board Decisions

Fishbone diagrams, also known as “Ishikawa diagrams”, were conceived by organizational theorist Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa in the 1920’s. Today, they’re used in the analysis phase of SixSigma’s DMAIC problem-solving method. The diagrams focus on identifying the “root cause” of an “effect” (an issue or problem).

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Guiding Board Feedback to Preserve Candor | Cut to the Candor (Part Two)

For a board of directors to deliberate effectively, there’s often some amount of “ice” to be broken with regards to receiving honest feedback. In the last installment of our two-part series, Cut to the Candor: Breaking the Ice for Honest Insights, we discussed some of the many reasons someone contributing to board decision-making (either in the Evaluation or the Deliberation Phase) might reserve their candid opinions. Finding the source of hesitation plays an important role in the subject of our final installment: guiding board feedback to preserve candor.

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Finding the Source of Board Member Hesitation | Cut to the Candor (Part One)

Preserving candor in your board of directors can make or break effective deliberation. Effective decision-making relies on informed, honest, and direct communication. So, why are honest insights often so hard to find? What can you do to ensure your board cuts straight to the candor when making a decision? Let’s find out in the first installment of our two-part series — Cut to the Candor: Breaking the Ice for Honest Insights!

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Robert’s Rules of Order

If you’ve served on a board or committee, you’re probably familiar with Robert’s Rules of Order. But where did they come from and how did they come to be the standard structure for deliberation? Let’s find out in this installment of All About It — a series where we dive deep into the topics that fascinate us.

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Comparing Delphi and NGT Decision Techniques

Two of the most popular tools for evaluating and prioritizing ideas are the Delphi Technique and the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). But, do enough research on decision-making strategies and they all start to blur together. Let’s take a closer look at how each technique works, and when they’re best used.

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