From establishing the meeting’s the time of adjournment when the time is up, running the perfect board meeting requires a degree of intentionality that can make a difference. The more people feel that their time and expertise are valued, the more invested they will be in the outcome of each meeting. Here are some tips to help you get there.
Start the meeting on Time
Avoid overbooking your board meetings – particularly when you’re in person. You don’t want your attendees to feel distracted or like they’re being a waste of time. It’s also helpful to let your attendees look over the board http://boardmanagers.net/decision-making-tools-to-help-increase-productivity-and-free-up-time pack or other materials prior to the meeting – whether it’s a complete deck of cards, or an easier Memo/Notion document.
Keep to the Agenda
A strong structure is the best way to ensure that the board meeting is productive. This means not adding new agenda items in advance, requiring the attendees to read their materials prior to the meeting, and setting expectations for each agenda item based on the length of time it should be discussed. This will ensure that the board meeting stays focused and avoid diverging discussions.
Be sure that every item on the agenda has a clear end goal – are you looking for information, getting agreement or deciding? This will allow you to keep the board meeting productive by avoiding the board from getting distracted and allows you to concentrate on the most important issues. Also, making sure that you distribute the minutes of the board within a 24-hour period of every meeting will reinforce the decisions taken and ensure that actions are carried out promptly and efficiently.