Board meetings are essential for reaching company goals, avoiding conflicts and ensuring compliance. But they will only be productive when everyone is able to foster a constructive dialogue. Implementing these best practices can transform your Board meetings to dynamic engines that can propel your company towards its long-term goals and vision.
The first step in running an effective board meeting is to establish clear expectations and establish meeting procedures. It is essential to identify who is responsible for each item on the agenda and ensure that all participants understand what they can expect.
By establishing and adhering to time limits for each item on the agenda, you’ll be able to maintain focus during the entire meeting. This lets attendees know that they are valued. Limit the number of agenda items in order to ensure that your board members are able to discuss each item with ease. Items that are not controversial can be put to vote via a the consent agenda to allow more time to discuss strategic issues (BoardEffect). Utilize visual tools like countdown timers and adhere to your scheduled time frames particularly when discussing sensitive topics.
Unproductive discussions can result in lengthy meetings that can detract from the goals of the meeting. To avoid this, put a “parking lot” on the agenda for subjects that require further research or consideration but aren’t at the top of the priority list. Check the parking area regularly to determine what needs to be added to the agenda or researched further or delegated.