The way your board of directors conducts its meetings plays an important influence on the effectiveness and productivity of your board. To maximize the impact of every meeting, ensure that everyone on the board is aware of the expectations. This means establishing and sustaining clear rules for decision making and adhering to the voting guidelines and accurately documenting the decisions with https://www.boardroomate.com/best-ways-to-conduct-your-board-meetings-like-the-pros/ precise minutes.
A productive board meeting begins with a well-crafted agenda. Think about using visual tools such as countdown timers, and assigning time limits to each agenda item to make it easier for everyone to manage time efficiently. Beware of boring your board members with long reports and updates. Instead, place the most important topics at the top of the agenda.
Be clear about the process by which your board takes decisions: Consensus-based discussions are ideal however, it’s also ok to use a formal voting process if it’s necessary. In any case, ensure that everyone is aware of the process for making decisions prior to each meeting so that there aren’t any surprises.
The precise minutes are an essential element to the success of any board meeting, and a good board secretary is vital. Be sure that the person who is who is responsible for taking minutes has adequate training and is a committed member of your board of directors team. The secretary of the board should take notes on all topics relevant to the meeting including important details from the committee reports and officer reports. Then, quickly and accurately summarize all decisions made during the meeting in the minutes of your board and assign responsibilities for actions and follow-ups.