Dining with Della: Eli Mina at Biercraft
March 14, 2016
Eli Mina, M.Sc. is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian. A
specialist in all matters of governance such as Roberts Rules of Order, he is
also the author of five books on meetings and shared decision making. My
favourite is 101 Boardroom Problems and How to Solve Them.
You might think discussions around these topics are deadly
dull but they are not when it comes to Eli. He brings rules to life with an
eloquent vocabulary, relevant stories and strong rationales for following
protocols. This lovely, soft-spoken man definitely knows how to create better
meetings and deal with disputes.
We had lunch at Biercraft over massive turkey clubhouse
sandwiches and roasted squash bisque. This local eatery is a homey neighborhood
hangout with friendly staff and ample portion sizes. (Note to self: This blog series
can be fattening, must practice some restraint going forward!)
What worked...
What one bit of communication impacted your life?
Eli credits his wife Michelle for helping his consulting business get
off to a good start. When he received the call for his first assignment, Eli
thought it was a telemarketer so he said he was busy and asked them to try
again later. When the client did call back, they got his wife. Good thing. She
had a nice long chat with the person and discovered they needed help chairing a
convention with 150 people in attendance. That was in 1984 and he has not
looked back since. Today, Eli's wife is still a strong sounding board for
him and he graciously gives her plenty of kudos.
Next, Eli quotes Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, a
novel by writer and pilot Richard Bach. The wisdom of Bach's words, “If you
argue in favour of your limitations, they are yours", stuck. The
self-fulfilling prophecy of negativity is something Eli works to help people
overcome. Great lines roll off his tongue about missed possibilities and how
much better we work when we shift our mindset from being opponents to
proponents. Moving away from thinking about barriers and obstacles and focusing
instead on affirmative outcomes and opportunities is key to his success. As Eli
says, “It is so much easier to be a critic versus a creator”.
He is an advocate for life long learning. He feels his work is a calling
not a job. With over 30 years of experience and knowledge gathering, he humbly
claims he is always learning something new. He may have the history and the
tools but remains committed to exploring and learning from his clientele.
He knows his topics are potentially dry so works hard to keep people on
the edge of their seats through his captivating stories and examples. He knows
parliamentarians have a bit of a bad reputation with at least some people, as
one person called their national group, The National Association of Parliamentarians
(NAP), “The National Association of Nitpickers”.
(Note from Della: I can attest to his ability to engage after attending
a three hour session where I took copious notes and hung on every pithy word)
Eli also quotes from Mission Possible - Creating a Mission for Life and
Work by Maureen Fitzgerald. He talks passionately about being true to who he
is. He mentions a call from a potential client about a lucrative contract that
was alluring but not within his core type of work. He, ever so politely,
declined, while thanking them for their generous offer. He wisely understands
how important it is to say no, and focus on your mission versus the size of your
bank account.
What did not work...
Before he was a parliamentarian, he was an engineer (an extraordinarily
quiet engineer, even in meetings). He would sit in judgment and be frustrated
by others, wondering to himself why they could not understand when they had
something wrong.
He later realized how being a team member and speaking up was his
duty. He needed to share his thoughts. Seeing feedback as a gift is part
of his mantra today. If he were doing something wrong, he would be angry if you
did not tell him. Respectfully giving feedback is part of his teaching. As Eli
says, "Give feedback in a way that is easy to receive".
(Note from Della: Having the opportunity to witness Eli in action, I
have to say he has the most dignified way of keeping people in line. Soft
spoken, yet powerful, I am in awe of his ability to command attention. One
of his little ditties (which he has learned not to practice as much as he used
to) was, “If you want to be seen, stand up. If you want to be heard,
speak up. If you want to be liked, sit down and shut up”.)
What if...
What advice would you give to your younger self to enhance your ability to communicate with others – and why?
His advice to young,
extremely quiet Eli would be to turn obstacles or fears into opportunities. As
frightening as public speaking was the first time out, hands shaking and heart
aflutter, the more he got out there, the more comfortable he became. He would
also write more. You can see his passion for the written word when he talks
about the current standards and the distraction that comes with bad prose.
Eli believes being collegial is not always good for a group. He knows
people need to share their diverse and sometimes conflicting opinions to get to
good solutions. Having said that, Eli has to be one of the most collegial
people I have ever met. He is ever so likeable, even though his words can keep
the most egregious crowd in line.
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