It’s not easy to make sure everyone’s opinions are considered and heard when you have a diverse group of board members. The more you are considerate of your board members’ time and expertise and knowledge, the more likely they are to participate in discussions. Planning the agenda right here carefully and distributing it before the deadline and choosing the appropriate timing, deciding on the right location, and having easy access to all the resources is crucial.
It is vital to have an open line of communication with your board members, even if you are not a part of a formal meeting. It stops bad news or other issues from being discussed for the first time at meetings and can help to strengthen the bond between directors. Allowing short interruptions within the meeting room can help to keep meetings productive.
Limiting the topics discussed at board meetings is an excellent method to increase the efficiency of meetings. Prioritizing two issues of importance for each board meeting can help keep the discussion focused and enable more meaningful discussions.
One of the most frequent complaints from board members is when a discussion diverges from the topic or is led by one person for too long. This can be very frustrating for board members, especially when they’ve spent a lot of time creating the agenda and get distracted by non-related topics.
You can eliminate lengthy reports and other routine items. Encourage committee chairs and officers to send out summary bullet points prior to the meeting. This will leave more time for strategic discussion without the need to have board members sit through lengthy presentations.