Bob's __________ Rules

A minimalist meeting rules wrapper, intended to make facilitation and decision making less clunky and more flexible in spaces where folks are mostly on the same page.

The rules v1.0

INSTRUCTIONS: Bob's __________ Rules wraps a more-strict set of rules, so replace the blank below with the rules you currently use or prefer. This should work for all sets of parliamentary rules. For example: Bob's Robert's Rules [technically, probably Bob's Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised] or Bob's Rusty's Rules [technically, Bob's Rusty's Rules of Order]

1. A meeting under these rules has a facilitator and a notetaker who are not the same person, selected however the group chooses.
2. Notes are made available to the group either concurrently during the meeting, or as soon as possible after it ends.
3. Until an objection is made, the facilitator runs the meeting using informal consent, and can choose to call for votes or do whatever else they think is useful to the group.
4. If disagreement occurs, the facilitator should attempt to solve informally.
5. If anyone (including the facilitator) believes it necessary, they can raise an objection to drop into the named strict rules by saying "Objection!"
1. An objection needs a second.
2. If the objection is not seconded, the notetaker should note that one person has objected, and continue.
3. If the objection is seconded, the notetaker notes this, and the meeting switches to using __________ [INSERT AN ACTUAL NAMED SET OF RULES HERE] with the facilitator as chair, until those rules are suspended by methods they specify. Then, the meeting returns to Bob's __________ Rules as defined above.

Implementation

• Change e.g. "Robert's Rules" in organization bylaws to "Bob's Robert's Rules".
• Insert the above rules
• Meetings are less awkward, formal, and stuffy. The group can be more intentional about moving into parliamentarian-style decision making, but the default is more of a group conversation that does not require arcane knowledge. Hopefully this is an improvement!

Some notes about intent

Complex meeting rules can make community spaces that should feel inclusive and inviting feel corporate, bureaucratic, and draining instead.

As I have been unable to find any research comparing the pros and cons of more or less formal meeting structures, I decided to try writing up this meta-rule to allow for an easier default.

I'm not sure if this is technically that different from instantly suspending the rules at the start of the meeting, but it does allow for a hopefully less-goofy method that still allows for dissent.

Groups that love the 700 pages of Robert's Rules (auuugh!!) can safely ignore Bob's Robert's Rules forever.

Changelog

2025-09-02

1.0: Minor clarifications added

2025-06-06

0.1: Initial version

Dan Fitch
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