How to Conduct Board Meetings Effectively

The way your board of directors conducts its meetings plays a significant part in the efficiency and productivity of your board. To maximize the impact of every meeting, ensure that everyone on the board is aware of the expectations. This includes establishing clear rules for decision-making, upholding guidelines for voting and clearly recording the decisions made with precise minutes.

A productive board meeting begins with a well-crafted agenda. Give time limits to each agenda item, and consider using visual tools like countdown timers to assist everyone in managing their time effectively. Avoid boring your board members with long reports and updates. Instead, prioritize the most important issues at the top of the agenda.

Communicate clearly how your board makes its decisions. Consensus-based discussions are ideal, but formal voting is also acceptable in the event of need. Be sure that everyone understands the process of decision-making before every meeting.

Minutes that are precise are an essential component to the success of any board meeting, and a reliable secretary is crucial. Be sure that the person who is responsible for recording minutes has adequate training and is a committed member of the board of directors. Make sure that the secretary of the board takes notes on all topics relevant to the meeting including important details view website from officer and committee reports. You must then accurately and promptly review all decisions taken at the meeting, and assign responsibilities to follow-up and actions items.