It’s hard to ensure everyone’s opinions are considered and respected when there is a broad range of members on your board. The more your board members feel that their time and experience is being valued and valued, the more involved they’ll be in discussions. The agenda should be planned carefully, distributing it early, choosing the right time, choosing the right location, and having access to all resources is key.
Being able to establish a clear line of communication with your board, even outside the setting of a formal board meeting is also important. It can prevent bad news or other issues being discussed during the first meeting, and aid in building trust between directors. Having short interruptions in the meeting room can review assist in keeping meetings productive.
Limiting the number of topics that can be discussed at meetings is a great way to increase the effectiveness of your board meetings. Prioritizing two key issues for each board meeting will ensure that the discussion stays focused, and allow for more relevant discussions.
Board members can be frustrated when a discussion drifts off topic or is led by a single person. This can be very frustrating for board members, particularly when they’ve spent time preparing the agenda and find their attention diverted by unrelated topics.
You can eliminate lengthy reports and other routine items by urging officers and committee chairs to distribute summary bullet points prior to the meeting. This will give more time for strategic discussion without the need to have board members sit through detailed presentations.