Tips for Running a Successful Board Meeting
The successful running of a board meeting requires a mix of strategies that yield the best outcomes while creating the perfect setting for collaboration. The following guidelines will help you to set a dynamic tone and encourage participation from a variety of perspectives, and reach your desired results.
Clearly define the goals of your Meeting
Setting clear goals helps keep meetings productive and focused. It also guides participants toward more meaningful discussions and decision-making processes. The clarity of the meeting’s goals will allow leaders to prioritize the agenda, and allocate enough time for each topic and give them the flexibility to address any unexpected issues or urgent issues arise during the meeting.
Start with the Important Issues
Addressing the most important topics first will stimulate your meeting, since it helps to get everyone in the right frame of mind for a deeper discussion. This is an excellent way to establish a precedent that your meetings are focused on the issues instead of updates.
Distribute all meeting materials in advance
Distributing meetings materials and reports to all Board members in advance is the best way to ensure they are prepared for the meeting. This will allow participants to read the material and form their thoughts and opinions prior to the meeting. This will prevent the event from becoming off-track and bogged down in administrative tasks.
Review Your Meetings
Utilizing an online portal for your board will allow you to keep track of actions items and follow-up tasks during the meeting, and disseminate them in an easily digestible format after the meeting is over. In addition it is important to examine your board’s sessions regularly to find out what’s working and what needs improvement.