The manner in which board meetings are run can greatly impact how well the discussion goes and the effectiveness of the meetings. It is essential to have clear expectations about the way meetings are conducted and how they are conducted.
In general Board meetings should not be dominated by reading from reports. Instead, the chairs of committees should go over their reports prior to the meeting and present them at the time of the meeting. The board will then discuss each report, as well as the information it contains, within the context of the company’s goals.
Board members need to be able to talk openly and freely to have productive discussions. This means that board members must respect other members their right to speak. Although there are exceptions, interrupting other board members is generally thought to be poor form.
It is a common omission to bring up a problem or topic to discuss without a https://www.boardroomate.com/how-to-improve-board-performance/ clear suggestion of what the board should be doing. This can make the discussion seem stale and boring. Instead, begin with a general plan of the next step and let everyone take a look at the pros and cons of each idea.
Having a board secretary or any other knowledgeable person take notes during the meeting will aid in ensuring that important information is not lost. However, it is critical to clearly communicate how the board will make its decisions–whether by consensus or voting–and who is responsible for preparing the minutes.