Blog

The board meetings are vital to the overall success of an organization. They need a lot of work and dedication from both the leadership team as well as the board members. How can you organize a board meeting in a manner that is both productive and effective? The answer lies in thorough planning an organized agenda for the meeting, early distribution of materials as well as smart scheduling, appropriate locations, and easy access to required materials.

Begin the meeting by introducing the agenda, and extending a warm welcome to all present, particularly guests or new members. Set the tone for the meeting by stating the reason for the discussion and how decisions will be made. It’s also crucial to address quorum requirements, as specified in your governing documents and ensure that all members are present to legally conduct business.

Talk about the most important agenda items first. This will ensure that you allow sufficient time for them to be discussed and considered. This will allow for the most stimulating and energizing discussions and help you stick to the scheduled time for meetings.

Define how you will take decisions during the meeting, whether through consensus or by voting. This will ensure that all board members know and can agree on the process of decision-making which board room is crucial to effective decision-making.

Give the board ample time to discuss new and unsolved issues. This is known as “new business.” These are typically discussions with the aim of reaching a consensus. However, if you decide that further research is needed or that a decision cannot be reached at the time of the meeting it is helpful to create a section in the agenda to address these issues. These can then be revisited in future meetings or dealt with in follow-up discussions.