This one-of-a-kind book challenges nonprofit leaders (and anyone who runs meetings) to retire Robert's Rules of Order and adopt a simpler, friendlier, and more effective method for conducting meetings--Roberta's Rules of Order. Using traditional sailing ships as a metaphor, meetings and governance expert Alice Collier Cochran helps groups make the journey from the "shore" that represents the culture of Robert's Rules--procedural formality, debate, simple majority rule--to the opposite "shore" of Roberta's Rules--informality, dialogue, and decision-making options.? In doing so, she helps them to conduct friendlier, more effective meetings and to take the first step toward creating flexible, democratic organizations.
While there are some useful tips for running effective, participatory, collaborative meetings, I don't think Cochran's ideas are quite as incompatible with Robert's Rules of Order as she suggests. Clever marketing, but I'm not entirely convinced. But since I'm president-elect of an organization that has adopted Roberta's rules as parliamentary authority (or egalitary authority, in Robertaspeak), I guess I'll get to learn how it really works.