Board meetings provide directors with the opportunity to share their ideas and make key decisions that will allow your organization to grow. Unfortunately, these important meetings can easily turn into ineffective and useless, wasting energy and time.
A well-defined and specific agenda is the foundation of an effective board meeting. A well-crafted agenda for a board meeting should only contain the most important issues and be shared ahead of time so that the participants are well-prepared. It should also contain specific times for each item so that discussions remain what are the skills required of a strong leader on the right track and don’t go overboard.
Great board meetings require dynamic and lively discussions that incorporate all perspectives. This can be achieved by encouraging quieter members to take part, offering opportunities for dialogue and brainstorming, encouraging the respectful exchange of views, and making sure that all discussion is aligned to the meeting’s objectives.
It is essential to have a chairperson or moderator at the time of the board meeting, who can manage time and steer the discussion. A great chairperson is always on the lookout for time, making sure that the discussion doesn’t veer from the topic and restricts the time allotted to each item. They should also remember that the entire meeting should be in the allotted timeframe and clearly communicates this to the participants.