Making Online Board Meetings Productive and Effective

The quality of your board meetings depends on the amount of work participants do before each one. If they make the effort to prepare their agendas, they will make online meetings more productive and effective. A group that is well-prepared is more likely to adhere to the agenda and avoid getting distracted.

It is important to establish clear expectations for board members who are remote regarding how they’re expected to attend meetings. It’s ideal, for example to remind attendees that they should Strategic Planning mute themselves when speaking and only speak up when they are asked to. This will prevent participants from arguing with one another or leaving the meeting without feeling heard. Before a meeting starts the convenor should ask participants to identify any technology problems they need help with.

Include the rules of virtual meetings in the board member orientation materials so that everyone is aware of what to expect prior to, during and after the meeting. For instance, it’s important to communicate the agenda ahead of time and to follow up with attendees a day or morning before the meeting to confirm all the details, then provide them with the Zoom or meeting link again and remind attendees of any other preferences at the meeting (such as requesting that attendees listen to the meeting from an area that is quiet to avoid distractions). It is also recommended to add an executive session placeholder to each agenda item and include this at the start of the meeting to avoid confusion as to whether there will be an executive session.