Board meetings should be engaging, productive and educational. Board members bring a wide range of experience and expertise to your business that will make it more successful. Board members are also entrusted with the company’s finances, reputation, and future plans. Therefore, it’s crucial to make time to get to know them outside of board meetings through telephone calls and private dinners as well as managerial meetings.
Make sure that board materials are accessible to all directors prior to the meeting. This will allow the board to read and prepare for discussions. Avoid surprising the board with long proposals or controversial topics that they weren’t prepared board room tips for. Avoid bringing up these topics at the beginning of a meeting where the board may not be prepared for the depth of discussion that is required.
Keep the board on task by setting an agenda that is clear, with the estimated time for each item. This will enable the board to be in control of its time and encourage active involvement. It is essential to clearly assign a person to take minutes in a detailed manner during the meeting, whether it’s the secretary or a board member. This will help avoid confusion and headaches in the future.
Some officers like to begin the meeting with a triumphant story to energize the board. This can be a fantastic method to boost morale and let the board know how its actions have an impact on employees, customers or other stakeholders. By energizing the board by delivering positive results will help refocus the board on the future of your company.