Board meetings are crucial to reaching company goals, avoiding conflicts and keeping the company in line with its rules. But they can only be productive if everyone in the room is engaged and committed to encouraging constructive dialogue. Implementing these best practices can transform your Board meetings to dynamic engines that propel your organisation towards its long-term goals and vision.
The first step in running a successful board meeting is to establish clear expectations and establish the meeting’s protocols. It includes clearly defining who is responsible for each item on the agenda, and ensuring that all participants have an understanding of what is expected from the meeting.
Establishing and adhering to timeframes for each agenda item helps keep the focus of the meeting. It also lets the attendees know that their time is valued. It is a good idea to limit the number items on your agenda to ensure that your board members have time to discuss each one effectively. The items that aren’t controversial can be put to vote via a consent agenda to free up more time for discussion of strategic issues (BoardEffect). Utilize visual tools such as countdown timers and stick to your time frames especially when dealing with sensitive topics.
Distractions from the latest discussion topics can divert attention from the goals of the meeting and lead to unneeded discussions. To mitigate this, include the word „parking lot“ on the agenda for topics that require further investigation or consideration however are not at the top of the list. Regularly revisit the parking area to determine what should be added to the agenda, studied further or delegated.
