How to Conduct Board Meetings

The way the board meetings are conducted has a major impact on the quality of the discussion and how productive they are. It is essential to have clear expectations regarding how meetings will function and how they will be conducted.

In general, board meetings shouldn’t be focused on reading reports. Instead, the chairpersons of committees must review their reports prior to the meeting and present them at the meeting. Then the board can discuss each report and the information contained in it within the context of the larger goals of the business.

For productive conversations board members must be able to speak freely and without fear. This means that board members must respect each other’ right to speak. While there are some exceptions interruptions to other board members is generally considered in poor manner.

A common error is to bring up a problem or issue for discussion without having a clear plan on what the board ought to do. This can cause the conversation to feel stale and long. Begin with a general plan and let everyone weigh the pros and cons.

It is important to ensure that the crucial information is not left out by having a board secretary or a different experienced person, take notes at the meeting. However, it is critical to communicate clearly how the board will make its decisions, whether through consensus or voting, and who is responsible https://www.boardroomate.com/best-ways-to-conduct-your-board-meetings-like-the-pros/ for the preparation of the minutes.