It’s not easy to make sure everyone’s opinions are heard and taken into consideration when there is a broad range of board members. The more you respect your board members their time and expertise as well as their expertise, the more they’ll participate in discussions. This is why planning the agenda, early distribution, intelligent timing, appropriate locations and simple access to all necessary resources goes a long way.
It is important to have a communication channel open with your board members, even if you are not in a formal meeting. It can prevent bad news or other issues being discussed during the first meeting, and aid in building the bonds between directors. Having short interruptions in the meeting space can also help keep meetings productive.
Limiting the number of subjects that can be discussed at meetings is a great method to improve the efficiency of your board meetings. Prioritizing two important issues for each meeting helps to keep the discussion focused and encourages more meaningful conversations.
Board members often get frustrated when a discussion goes off-topic or is led by one person. This can be very frustrating particularly if a board member took their time preparing the agenda only to discover that their attention is diverted by other unrelated topics.
It is possible to eliminate lengthy reports and other routine items. Encourage chairpersons and officers to send out brief bullet points prior to the meeting. This will allow for more time to focus on strategic discussions without the requirement for board members to listen to lengthy presentations.
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