When you have a highly diverse group of board members it’s often difficult to ensure that all viewpoints are considered and heard. The more you value your board members their time and expertise as well as their expertise, the more they’ll take part in discussions. Planning the agenda carefully making it available early and deciding on the best time, choosing the right location, and having quick access to all resources is vital.
Having a clear line of communication with your board outside the formal board meeting is also crucial. It prevents bad news or other issues from being discussed for the first time during the meeting and helps to build cohesion amongst directors. Additionally, allowing brief diversions in the boardroom can keep meetings productive and on the right track.
Limiting the number of topics to be discussed at the meeting is another great way to increase the effectiveness of your board meetings. Prioritizing two important issues for each board meeting can help keep the discussion focused and encourage more relevant discussions.
Board members can be frustrated when a discussion goes off-topic or is led by one person. This can be very frustrating for board members, particularly when they’ve spent a lot of time creating the agenda and get distracted by irrelevant topics.
Consider eliminating long reports and other routine tasks by encouraging chairpersons and officers to send out summary bullet points prior to the meeting. This will allow more time to be spent on strategic discussions without the need for board members to listen to lengthy presentations.
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