Board meetings are crucial to the overall success of any company but they can also take a long time and are tedious. There are several methods that can be employed to improve the structure of meetings and make them more efficient, productive and enjoyable.
Ensure that the board members are informed about the topics to discuss at the meeting. This can be achieved through clearly-organized agendas that contain details about the topic to be discussed, as well as by providing relevant documents to all participants prior to the meeting. This will help avoid any surprises and ensure that everyone is prepared to be a part of the discussion.
Then, prioritize the most important issues that need to be discussed at the meeting. It is not unusual for discussions to drift from their intended areas, and it might be beneficial to have a “parking lot” for discussion items that require more time than the meeting allows. This will keep the board on the right track and permit discussions to be carried out offline.
It is also crucial to document all the details of the meeting. This can be accomplished through written minutes that are signed and dated by the minute taker. This will ensure that all decisions taken at the board meeting are recorded and could be referred to later on.
These guidelines can transform your board meetings into a powerful instrument for distributing important information to all departments in your business. These guidelines may require some trial and error however they will make your board meetings more efficient, productive and even fun.