It is a fact that organizing a board meeting takes a lot of time and can be stressful. If your meetings lack structure, focus or energy, it could cost you in terms of missed opportunities and decreased productivity. There are a few simple steps you can implement to ensure your directors are involved and participate in a successful board meeting.
Evaluate Your Meetings at Least Every Year
Feedback is one of the most effective ways to improve meetings. After some of your meetings each year, have your board members take two sticky notes with them and write notes with a “+” to indicate which parts of the meeting were successful and an “-” for areas which could be improved. Then, they should stick the notes on a board which they can display next to the door so that everyone can discern what needs to be modified.
Control Your Time
Keep your meetings short to allow for meaningful discussions and taking decisions. Avoid the temptation to include lengthy reports and “have to” items in your agenda. Consider breaking down detailed information from your board book into smaller topics for discussion. Or, have your directors conduct their own research prior the meeting and bring prepared questions to be discussed.
Board meetings can also be a way to boost the team’s enthusiasm and spur actions. By adding “mission moments” to the meeting — where your board members are able to hear stories or testimonials about how your organization has made an impact on people’s lives could be an immense boost in energy for the entire group.
how to have a great board meeting