How to Conduct Board Meetings Effectively
How your board conducts its meetings plays an important role in the effectiveness and efficiency of your board. To maximize the impact of every meeting, establish and maintain clear policies and processes making sure that all board members understand what is expected from them. This includes establishing and maintaining clear rules for decision making, adhering to voting guidelines, and accurately documenting decisions by taking precise minutes.
A productive board meeting begins with a well-crafted agenda. Give time limits to each agenda item, and look into using visual tools like countdown timers to enable everyone to manage their time efficiently. Beware of boring your board members with long reports and updates. Instead, put the most important issues at the top of the agenda.
Inform your board members of the manner in which it makes its decisions. Consensus-based discussions are ideal, but formal voting is also acceptable when it is necessary. Make sure that everyone knows the process for making decisions prior every meeting.
A good board secretary will ensure that your board meeting is a success. Make sure the person responsible for taking notes is well-trained and is a committed member of your board. Make sure that the secretary of the board takes notes on all topics relevant to the meeting including important details from officer and committee reports. You should then quickly and accurately summarize all decisions made at the meeting and assign https://www.boardroomate.com/advantages-of-paperless-board-meetings/ responsibility to follow-up and actions items.