The meetings of the board should be efficient, engaging and informative. Board members bring a variety of backgrounds and skills to your company that will assist in the success of your business. Board members are entrusted to manage the finances, reputation and future plans of your company. Therefore, it is important to make the effort to get to know them outside of board meetings by calls private dinners, meetings with management and board meetings.
Make sure that board materials are accessible to all directors well prior to the meeting. This will allow time for the board to read and prepare for discussions. Avoid causing confusion for the board by presenting lengthy proposals or controversial issues that they weren’t prepared for. Also be sure to not discuss these topics at the beginning of the meeting when the board may be unprepared to handle the depth of discussion needed.
Create a clear agenda, and include the approximate meeting times. This will help the board manage time and encourage active participation. It is important to clearly delegate one person regardless of whether it’s the secretary or a board member to take minutes in a clear manner at the meeting. This will prevent confusion and headaches in the near future.
Some officers like to begin the meeting with a success story to energize the board. This can be a fantastic motivational tool and demonstrate that the board’s decisions make a difference in the lives of employees, customers or other stakeholders. Energizing the board by delivering positive results will help refocus the board on the future of your organization.
