Making Online Board Meetings Productive and Effective

The quality of your board’s meetings will depend on the amount of work participants prepare prior to each meeting. If the participants are prepared their agendas, they will make online meetings more productive and effective. A well-prepared group is more likely to stick to the agenda and not get distracted.

It’s essential to communicate clearly to board members from remote locations what they are expected to do in meetings. It’s a good idea, for instance to remind members to turn off their phones when speaking and only speak when asked to do so. This stops people from speaking over one another or leaving the meeting without feeling heard. Before beginning a meeting the convenor should inquire of participants if they have any technological issues they require assistance with.

It’s also beneficial to include the rules for virtual meetings in comprehensive data management for M&A effectiveness the board member’s orientation materials to ensure that everyone has complete understanding of what’s required of them prior to, during, and following the meeting. For instance it’s important to send the agenda ahead of time and to follow up with participants a day or in the morning prior to the meeting to confirm all the details, give them the Zoom or meeting link in a second time, and remind attendees of any other preferences at the meeting (such as requesting that attendees listen to the meeting from an area that is quiet to avoid distractions). It is also recommended to add an executive session placeholder to each agenda item and to include it at the beginning of the meeting to avoid confusion about whether there will be an executive session or not.