Effective board meetings require a focused approach to meeting management that ensures you get the most out of every minute you’ve allocated for your meeting. This means keeping the discussion on track and limiting conversations that lead to detours in discussion and reiterating the goals of the agenda as needed. It is also essential that you have a timer in place to keep the productive board meetings agenda on track, and a person to take detailed notes so that everyone can review them later.
Distribute all relevant materials and the agenda prior to the meeting so that participants can be prepared. This will keep your meeting on course and allow you to begin the discussion after everyone is familiar with the basics of the topic.
Limit the amount of time you spend on routine and reports which can slow down conversations and make attendees feel bored and disengaged. Instead, focus on discussing strategic issues and other important topics that will drive the company forward.
Find patterns in your routine reports and convert them into action items for the board members to tackle during the meeting. This is an excellent way to inspire your board members to address an issue instead of just responding to reports.
Give your board members the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts during the meeting. This can make them feel valued and heard. It could be a catalyst for the development of new ideas that may otherwise be overlooked.