A board meeting is a great way to get people involved and productive. However, coordinating a successful board meeting isn’t an easy task. Board members’ time is precious, and it’s your task as chairperson to steer discussions in the right direction and ensure everyone is involved throughout the meeting. Unplanned decisions can cost your company money particularly if they impact the other members of the board.
Send board members an agenda for the meeting in advance. Make sure you provide an explicit explanation of the goal of every item on the agenda: Do you right here want to inform, gather information, or make an agreement? Understanding the goals of each topic can help you manage your time and avoid getting sidetracked.
Before moving on to other business issues be sure to discuss any old items that require an approval vote or are able for approval. Be cautious not to let these items consume the majority of your meeting time You’ll want to give each issue the time it deserves. You might want to consider moving old items to the next agenda or requesting for a report to be discussed at a later date If you notice that your board is spending too much time discussing these items.
If your board meetings are held online Encourage participation by allowing participants to raise their hand when it’s their turn speak. This helps the board chair recognize everyone and keep the discussions on course. Also ask everyone to turn off their phones when they’re not speaking to avoid distractions like kids or pets. Make sure to schedule your online meetings outside of regular meal times to stop people from eating on camera.