One of the most challenging situations that may confront your board during a meeting is handling very disruptive audience members. For example, what if an owner with strong opinions who’s known for being very outspoken, starts yelling during the meeting? Fortunately, this kind of disruption is very rare during a well-planned, well-organized and well-run meeting. So, the key is advanced planning to handle the worst situation that may arise.
Meeting Moment–Amending Minutes
The first action item on most owners’ meeting agendas is approving the minutes of the last owners’ meeting. Let’s say that -- as usual -- you have an ambitious agenda, with many action items and a limited time in which to get through them all. But when the secretary moves to approve last year’s...
Meeting Moment – Leadership Tips for the Minority
Usually this column gives advice to the president or chair of a meeting. Today, our advice is for the “loyal opposition”, those members in the minority. Let’s say you are concerned about how the Board is handling, or failing to handle an issue. How can you best advocate for your position at an owner’s meeting?
Meeting Moment – Using Neutrals
Often some of the most challenging questions a chair must handle during an annual meeting come from members of the “opposition” who don’t believe the board is being fair to them, and who are afraid their rights will be violated by something that happens at a meeting. When owners take this type of concern to an extreme, they may appear to be conspiracy theorists, convinced that the board and manager are conspiring to deprive them of their rights.