A successful board meeting is an essential part of good governance. It’s the time when the Board of Directors comes together to discuss and make decisions on critical company read review issues, making sure that the company is moving in the right direction. It might seem daunting however there are simple guidelines that will enable you to conduct productive meetings and make effective decisions.
It is essential to plan well in advance and distribute the agenda with all members before the meeting. A clear agenda will outline the most important issues to be discussed, and set a reasonable amount of time for each discussion. This will ensure that meetings do not end up going off topic, becoming overly repetitive or turning into an exclusive gathering for a few people to contribute instead of an inclusive discussion with the all members of the Board.
Prioritize just two major issues to be addressed during every meeting. This is a common best practice that helps to focus discussions and reduce the amount of items that need to be discussed during the meeting. It also allows for a discussion and decision to be made on each issue, not just updates. Updates are easily shared through the board book, and a certain amount of time to update can be allocated to these during the meeting itself.
Be clear about the process for deciding. Doing so ensures that everyone is aware of the process of making decisions and will be on the same team when it comes to resolving disagreements as well as reaching consensus. It also establishes expectations for the type of discussion that should be held during the meeting, such as finding common ground, examining the various perspectives, or solving disagreements through a vote process.
