Our Chapter Meeting Ground Rules

 EVERYBODY TAKES PART: Extra effort will be made to include all members in the decision making process, within the time available. By the same token, members will seek information of their concern directly from the source before they criticize.

MUTUAL RESPECT: Respect is the foundation of trust. Disagreements can be managed. Respected dialogue makes for creative problem solving. Disrespect tempts people to leave the organization, even when the disrespect is not aimed at them and they only observe it.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: Discussions within the Board need to be as open as possible. However, members should indicate when sensitive issues need to remain confidential. As a rule, members can freely discuss the issues that are expressed in Board meetings, just not connect them with the source.

POSITIVE INTERACTION: Attack ideas, not people. Let me say that again, attack ideas, not people.

LISTEN: Balance the advocacy for your position with a thoughtful exploration of the other person's position.

FORMALIZE CONCLUSIONS: Try to bring an issue's discussion to closure and then memorialize the resulting agreement.

CLARIFY COMMITMENTS: Be sure everyone is clear about their roles and responsibilities. Then hold them accountable for doing what they said they would do.

MANAGE CONFLICT: Honestly surface disagreements and adopt a creative problem-solving approach to resolving them.

EVERYBODY TAKES PART: Review these ground rules and monitor at every meeting how well they are observed.