A board meeting can be productive and engaging. But ensuring a successful board meeting isn’t a simple task. As chairperson, it’s your responsibility to ensure the meeting is productive and that everyone is actively involved. Off-course decisions can be costly for your organization particularly if they impact the rest.
Begin with a clearly defined agenda that’s distributed to board members prior to the time. Be sure to include an explanation of the purpose of every item on the agenda: Does it inform, gather information, or reach a decision? Understanding the goal of each topic can aid in managing time and avoid getting lost.
Make sure to discuss any old business issues which require a vote and are ready for approval before proceeding to new business items. It isn’t a good idea to spend all your meeting time on these items. Instead, give each issue the attention that it deserves. You might want to consider moving old items to the next agenda or asking that a future report be discussed at a later date if you find your board spending too much time discussing these items.
Encourage participation by allowing your participants to raise their hands when it’s their turn to speak. This will help the chair of the board recognize everyone in the room and keep discussions on track. Also, ask everyone to mute when they’re not talking to prevent distractions from children or pets. Make board governing documents sure to schedule your online meetings away from regular meal times so that no one eats on cameras.