A well-organized board meeting is the ideal way to get people on board with difficult decisions and issues. To ensure productive meetings it is vital that everyone is on the same page and has had the opportunity to go over the material in advance. This will allow for more discussion, and also allows boards to make informed decisions that are in the company’s best interest.
Board members are often busy and have probably many commitments to their schedules. Therefore, it is important to plan board meetings ahead and ensure that all directors are able to accept the invitation. It is also a good idea to develop an agenda for board meetings, so that all directors are able to access the information prior to the meeting.
On the day of the board meeting the most important task is to manage the board’s time effectively. This includes making sure that each agenda item is actionable and relevant and that there is sufficient information available on each item. It is a good idea to give each item a certain amount of time to allow the board to move through the agenda without getting bogged down in discussions that don’t serve a purpose.
It’s an excellent idea, following each meeting, seek feedback via an online poll on your board’s website. This will reduce the amount of frustration and keep issues from boiling over. This can also improve the structure of the next board meeting and ensure that the board members you can try these out are prepared for difficult decisions.
