A productive board meeting requires a focused approach to managing meetings to ensure that you get the most of each hour allotted for your meeting. This means staying on course, avoiding rabbit trails and other unnecessary detours and repeating agenda goals when necessary. It also requires a precise timekeeper who keeps the agenda moving, and an individual assigned to take precise minutes so that everyone is able to examine them later.
Distribute the agenda and other important materials in advance so that participants can prepare. This will keep meetings running on schedule and allow discussions to begin once everyone is up to level on the topics of discussion.
Limit the time spent on reports and routine items which can slow conversations and leave participants bored and disengaged. Instead, focus on discussing strategic issues and other important subjects that can help move the organization forward.
Recognize trends in your routine reports, and then turn them into action items that the board can take on boardroomonline.org/can-directors-vote-by-proxy/ during the next meeting. This is a method of energizing your board members who will be tasked with solving a specific problem rather than simply responding the report.
Give your board members the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions during the meeting. This can help them to feel heard and respected, and it can also result in new ideas being introduced that might have otherwise been overlooked.
