Meetings at the Board are essential to achieving company goals, preventing conflicts and keeping the company in line with its rules. However, they are only successful if everyone is actively engaged and committed to fostering a constructive dialogue. By adopting these best practices, you can turn your Board meetings into the dynamism engines that push your company towards its long-term vision and objectives.
The first step in running a successful board meeting is to set clear expectations and establish meeting procedures. It involves clearly identifying who is responsible for each item on the agenda and making sure all attendees have an understanding of what to expect from the meeting.
By establishing and adhering to time limits for each item on the agenda, you can remain focused throughout the meeting. It also shows attendees that their time is valued. Think about limiting the number of items on your agenda so that your board members have enough time to debate each one effectively. The voting process for non-controversial issues could be conducted through a consent agenda, which frees up time to discuss important issues. Use visual tools like countdown timers for keeping track of your time, particularly when dealing with sensitive topics.
Getting sidetracked by discussions that are new can distract from the main purpose of the meeting and result in unnecessarily lengthy discussions. To mitigate this, include a “parking lot” on the agenda for topics that require further investigation or consideration however are not at the top of the list. Make sure to regularly check the parking lot to determine what issues need to be added to the agenda, investigated further or delegated.
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