The way your board conducts its meetings plays a significant impact on the effectiveness and productivity of your board. To maximize the effectiveness of every meeting, create and follow transparent policies and procedures, ensuring that all board members know what is expected of them. This means establishing clear rules for decision-making, upholding voting guidelines and clearly documenting decisions with accurate minute-taking.
An agenda that is well-written is the first step to successful board meetings. Give time limits to each agenda item, and look into using visual tools such as countdown timers to aid everyone in managing their time effectively. Beware of burying agenda items in lengthy reports and updates that will bore your board members, and prioritize addressing the most important topics for discussion at the top of your agenda.
Be clear about how your board makes its decisions. Consensus discussions are ideal, but formal voting is acceptable if it is needed. However, you must ensure that everyone is informed of the decision-making process prior to every meeting to ensure there aren’t any surprises.
A competent board secretary will ensure that your board meeting is successful. Ensure that the individual who is responsible for taking minutes has adequate training and is a committed member of your board of directors. Make sure the secretary of your board takes notes on all relevant topics including important details from the committee reports and officer reports. Then, promptly and accurately summarize all decisions made at the meeting in your minutes of the board and assign responsibilities to actions items and follow-ups.
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