Board meetings are the time where board members can provide valuable feedback on a company’s progress. They also provide an occasion for board members to establish trust and build camaraderie.
A successful board meeting begins by establishing clear communication of the meeting objectives before the board meets. This includes sending a board packet with all the necessary information for the discussion (no need to send more than is critical) and creating an agenda that outlines what’s most important to discuss.
Robert’s Rules of Order is used by certain boards to guide their meetings. However, this book isn’t necessary for all boards. It is generally the chair’s responsibility to make sure that all materials and invitations are distributed on time and that notes are made and that all board members receive all the materials required prior to the meeting.
One of the most frequent mistakes that companies make is not preparing and distribution of their board documents in advance. It is important to communicate the purpose of the board meetings to all members prior to the meeting. This will allow directors additional resources about european crisis drives massive surge in usage of collaboration software to prepare for the meeting and ask questions. This lets you keep your meeting as brief as you can, and also save time for discussion. If you have an official on your board who insists on a long report being included in the agenda, plan it to run for at least one hour after any break.
