Synopsis

People often remark on the number of rules in BNI. It’s true: there are a lot of rules. But these rules were created by the members, and these are the rules that BNI needs to be a successful organization. Rules exist to support a process to help a group achieve success. Successful people put systems in place to help them achieve results. BNI achieves its results because of the structure, not in spite of it.

In applying the rules of BNI, we need to be caring. The rules are not meant to be punitive. Hold members accountable in a supportive way. The leadership team should ask members what they can do to help a member bring about the necessary changes.

If you’re not sure why policies need to be applied consistently, watch this video:

Share your own insights about BNI’s rules in the comments below.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

Comnplete Transcript of Episode 459 –

Priscilla:

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Official BNI Podcast, brought to you by NetworkingNow.com, which is the leading site on the net for networking downloadables. I am Priscilla Rice, and I am coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California. I am joined on the phone today by the Founder and the Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, Dr. Ivan Misner. Hello, Ivan. How are you and where are you?

Ivan:

Hi Priscilla. I am still in Italy. Today, I am in Rome meeting with BNI members and Directors. Italy is fantastic. The members and Directors here are incredible. I am so excited to be here for the first time ever for BNI, for me visiting Italy. So it is really fantastic.

Priscilla:

Sounds great. So tell us a little bit about what is this Rules, Rules, Everywhere a Rule?

Ivan:

Rules, Rules, Everywhere a Rule. So I kind of came up with it- I am a 70’s kid. I went to high school in the early 70’s and there was a song called “Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign” by the Five Man Electrical Band. It’s a great little rock song. So this kind of came as a result of that phrase “signs, signs, everywhere a sign.

It’s, you know, with BNI because I hear people say that BNI has a lot of rules. Rules, rules, you know. BNI has all these rules.

So let me address that. Yeah. We do have rules. We do. I believe we have the rules we need to run a successful networking organization. By the way, I know I have said this before on other podcasts. All the member rules were created or approved by the members, through our International Board of Advisors, which is made up of members all over the world, including Italy, where I am at now. Members created all of our guidelines and policies.

I can tell you that having had hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs meeting every week all over the world, it’s a little bit like herding cats. Business people hate rules. I get that. But rules serve a purpose. Hockey without rules would be boxing on ice. BNI without rules would be a coffee club without tables.

Rules exist to support a process and a structure to help the team achieve the results that they are striving for. If you want to run a successful weekly networking program, there has to be a structured system in place.

Through my book, Masters of Success, we interviewed a lot of highly successful people and one of the consistent themes expressed by the individuals we interviewed was that successful people put systems in place to help them achieve results.

BNI is a system. When it is done right right, it yields amazing results. It does so because of the structure, not in spite of the structure. I think the application of the rules is worth further discussion, though. I am a firm believer in following a system and a process, i.e., our policies. But we don’t have to apply the policies like a fascist.