Common Meeting Problems

For the last 5 years, I've been learning about this Parliamentary Procedure, and wondering how good it can be if my Clan Association can use this procedure in the committee meeting? At least, the meeting will be effective and have conclusion on discussion. Let me tell you what is the common problem in meetings of the clan assiaciations that I've observed.

Meeting in Clan Association is normally long winded. If the agenda has been timed for 2 hours, it normally will takes 4-5 hours in real fact. This is due to a few posibilities here. 1. The chairman doesn't know how to exercise his power and chair the meeting effectively. 2. Those who attend the meeting simply doesn't know how to respect the chairman and keep talking to their friends. 3. Everybody wants to express their opinion and keep on discussing on matter, and when it comes to making decision it will be dragged on. I have come across a meeting that when it comes to vote for decision, the committees still want to discuss the matter and laid the matter on table.

Let's look at the issue where the chairman doesn't know how to exercise his power. This is a very common issue of meeting. It happens because the chairman doesn't know how to chair meeting or the chairman is too diplomatic and want to be Mr. Nice guy in meeting. As a chairman, the role is to control the meeting so that it is in order, to allow matters to be discussed and decisions to be made. Chairman should always make sure discussion is according to the point of order. When needed, Chairman can stop someone from talking, and put the matter to vote. Chairman can even ask someone to leave the meeting if that person does not behave himself.

Meetings in clan assiociation normally is old friend gatherings. What do I mean here is that, sometimes, we have not seen each other for quite sometimes, and when we have chance to see each other in meeting, we will start catching up. When the talking started, it is always difficult to stop due to the fact that everybody is so excited. This happened in the middle of meeting as well, especially when the discussion is boring and not related to that person's interest and portfolio. When a person started to feel bored, that person will initiate conversation with neighbours. That is when the meeting turns to be noisy. And when come to voting, those who were in their private conversation will feel left out and doesn't know how to make decision.

Not only the chairman need to know his role well, but the committee themselves knowing their own role also very important. As when the discussion goes on, normally it tends to have a few very vocal members who will keep on expressing their opinions on every matter. Sometimes, I really felt that they are attention seeker, and the association is a platform for them to express themselves. To be fair to everyone who spend their time serving the cause of the association, this should be prevented. Expressing their opinions should be only in tea time, or we called in "yum cha" in cantonese, after the meeting or before the meeting but not during the meeting. Sometimes, the opinions are repeated over and over again by different people in different ways.

Today, I went to association and I got a very good news. The Chinese Version of Parliamentary Procedure written by a Commisioner of Oath working in association is out. All the committees in the organization has got a copy of the book. I really hope that everybody will read through the book carefully, and learn the essence of the Parliamentary Procedures. When the meeting is not boring, when meeting is not about wasting time, more and more youth will be joining.