Making Online Board Meetings Productive and Effective

The quality of your board meetings is contingent on how much work members complete prior to each meeting. If they are able to plan their meetings, they can make online meetings more efficient and productive. A well-prepared group is more likely to stick to the agenda and avoid getting sidetracked.

It’s crucial to communicate clearly to board members from remote locations what they are expected to do in meetings. For instance, it’s a good idea to remind people to mute themselves and only speak when they’re called upon. This stops people from speaking over each other or leaving a meeting not feeling heard. It’s also important that the convener ask participants if they require assistance with a technological issue prior to starting.

It’s also beneficial to include the rules for virtual meetings in the materials for board member orientation to ensure that everyone has good understanding of what is required of them prior, during, and after the meeting. It’s essential, for example to distribute the agenda in advance and then follow up with the attendees in the morning or day prior to to confirm the details. It is also possible to give the link to the meeting or Zoom to participants once more and remind them of any other preferences you might have (such as asking them to tune in to the meeting in a quiet location to minimize distractions). It is suggested that you add a placeholder for an executive session to every item on the agenda. Also, include this at the beginning of the meeting in order to avoid confusion.

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