How to Design Effective Board Meetings
Board meetings are where major corporate decisions – on everything from company policy to management appointments to financial control and responses to crises are made. In this setting, the board members discuss their opinions discuss various ideas, and ultimately guide an organization through the complexity of business. The best boards design agendas that promote constructive dialogue and yield results.
An essential aspect of a successful board meeting is providing adequate advance preparation materials to board members. Nothing degrades the effectiveness of a meeting more than having attendees have to read through important documents during the meeting or, even worse getting materials handed out late or not accessible at all.
In addition to advance materials, it is helpful to include a list with the topics to be discussed so that board members can anticipate and prepare. This allows the board chair to concentrate on the most important issues and not repeat topics already discussed.
A strategic planning element is an excellent idea to include to the top of your agenda. This allows a full review to determine if the board’s strategic plan is still in place or if any gaps need to be taken care of.
It’s an excellent idea to start the meeting off with an inspirational or motivational speech that can re-energize the boardroom and set the stage for generating productive dialogue. It could be as simple and straightforward as telling a story about the organization’s accomplishments, or it can include an acknowledgement of individual staff members and the board members’ contributions.