Board meetings are an essential part of good business governance and are often the most valuable information for the company. There are however many ways in which board meetings can be inefficient and unproductive. In this article, we’ll look at some easy tips to help your company to control the process of meeting and keep your board meetings engaging and full of energy.
Preparation and punctuality
It’s important to begin board meetings on time and make sure that the participants have access to the information they need to read ahead of the start of the meeting. Nothing can make a board meeting ineffective than members who struggle to follow the discussion without the adequate background knowledge or understanding of the context. Additionally the board should clearly inform the participants of the agenda at least 3-4 days prior (or even earlier) to ensure that everyone is able to read and prepare for the meeting ahead of time.
To stay productive, you must adhere to the schedules of the meetings as stated in the agenda. This will demonstrate to the participants that the board realizes how important their time is and they’re respected as professionals. The chairperson or moderator should be watching the meeting continuously and gently guiding the discussions to stay on track so that all agenda items can be discussed and the meeting ends promptly.
It is also crucial to prioritize the most critical items on the agenda. This will avoid wasting the majority of the time on lengthy reports and noncontroversial issues that could have been addressed by the management team, the CEO or other committees.