The effectiveness of board meeting can have a significant effect on the success of your organization. Board members are accountable for the future of the company, which requires them to work in a constructive and positive environment that promotes discussion and decision making.
Setting realistic goals and timelines for each meeting is the first step in ensuring that meetings go smoothly. Make sure to distribute the agenda in advance, and include the estimated time for each item. This ensures that important topics are not put on the back burner, and that lesser-important topics receive sufficient attention. This allows board members to prepare for their meetings ahead of time and ask more thoughtful questions.
Take into consideration the availability of board members for each meeting, including their schedules, commitments to work and family obligations. The time and location of every meeting can make a an enormous difference in attendance and engagement. Make sure to schedule meetings at a time that works for the majority of your board.
Make sure that the agenda contains all important points to discuss and that the meeting begins on time. This will increase the energy and keep participants from getting exhausted or distracted.
Be clear about the voting procedure and rules to avoid confusion and misinterpretation. Facilitate active involvement by leveraging various participation strategies, such as breakout sessions, brainstorming and role-playing. Utilize visual aids to assist in understanding and aligning participant’s perspectives. Conduct post-meeting assessments and reviews of action items to pinpoint areas for improvement. These evaluations will help your board to continually improve its efficiency and effectiveness.