How to Conduct Board Meetings

The way board meetings are conducted has an influence on how productive and informative the discussions are. To maximize the value of every meeting, it is important to set clear expectations about how the meetings are supposed to function and how the decisions will be made.

In general, board meetings should not be dominated by reading from reports. Instead, committee chairs should review their reports prior to the time of the meeting and present them at the meeting. The board will then be able to discuss each report and the information it contains in relation to the overall goals of the company.

For effective conversations, board members must be able communicate freely and clearly. This means that board members must respect other members their right to speak. Although there are some exceptions however, interrupting other board members is generally thought to be unacceptable.

It is a common omission to bring up a problem or topic for discussion without a clear idea of what the board should be doing. This can cause the discussion to feel a bit stale and unproductive. Instead, begin with a general proposal for action, and then let everyone consider the advantages and disadvantages of each idea.

Having a board secretary or another experienced person take notes during the meeting could help ensure that important information is not lost. But, it is crucial to communicate clearly how the board will reach its decisions, whether through consensus or by voting. Also, who is responsible for preparing the minutes.

my sources