25 Set How to Make Your Board Meetings More Productive
The board meeting is a https://boardroomapp.org/5-tactics-that-will-make-your-executive-board-highly-effective-during-the-meeting/ great opportunity for your board to gain from the knowledge and perspectives of Important People. But if you let them spend the meeting reading reports in order to complete administrative formalities or discussing procedural issues — your board will walk away with a lot less than they would have.
The most effective board meetings include productive discussions and concrete action items. To ensure that your meetings are as efficient as you can adhere to these suggestions:
Before your meeting, get a good knowledge of the schedules of your board members. Start by using a tool such as Doodle to find the most common open dates in your board member’s calendars. Once you’ve determined the best time, contact those who manage their schedules directly to confirm their availability.
The meeting will begin by providing brief information on the key issues and inputs that are sought. This may include a recap of highlights from the calls prior to the meeting and the board package.
Give your committee heads and department heads time and space to discuss important reports and updates. This will keep the board updated and informed. Be aware that the board might need to revisit and discuss issues which were not addressed at the previous meeting. It’s beneficial to assign a particular point person from your team to follow up on these topics following the meeting. Finally, the board must determine any necessary next steps. The decision should be clearly outlined in the minutes, with the deadline and expectations for each item.