The first step for a successful meeting is to develop an agenda that works. But the agenda for a board meeting does not have to be a rigid document that stays the same each time. Use the agenda to help you change the way you conduct your meetings to gain the most value for your board.
The agenda for the board meeting should clearly define the purpose of the meeting to avoid wasting time and to ensure that all relevant topics are covered. The agenda should also include the required and optional attendees, so that they can make arrangements to accommodate them. It is recommended that the agenda is shared with board members well prior to the time of the meeting, so that they can give them time to review the agenda and prepare for the meeting.
It is important to include a section in the agenda of board meetings to discuss new business for the board, so that members can raise any concerns or issues that were not discussed at the previous meeting. The old business section permits board members to review unresolved matters and decide how to proceed. It is also helpful to include a report from a committee section on the board meeting agenda to allow the board to get valuable information from different committees on particular aspects of their work.
The final item of the agenda of the Board meeting is an opportunity for the Board to discuss any items that were not on the Consent Agenda and to formally take action to approve the meeting’s minutes. This will ensure that there are no the possibility of discrepancies and ensure accountability in the minutes of meetings.