The process of preparing for board meetings can be a tedious task that involves coordinating meetings with everyone, communicating key details, and perhaps most important, creating a dynamic agenda for the board in advance. The correct agenda can result in productive discussions that will allow you to make informed decisions and meet your organization’s goals. A wrong agenda could result in a dog’s meal of multiple items crammed in together, leaving no space for productive discussions and making progress on key issues.
Boards should organize their agendas so that they begin with long-term plans and finish with more practical topics such as procedures and policies. This keeps board members focused on the main purpose of the meeting and stops them from becoming distracted by pressing issues.
Ideally, you should assign freshboardroom.com a specific duration of time to each item in your agenda. This will stop your meeting from exceeding time and ensure that each subject gets the appropriate amount of discussion for the desired result.
It is also beneficial to include a ‘Nil’ heading on your board meeting agenda for any items that are not strategically relevant or require further clarification. Incorporating this heading could encourage other directors to bring up new and important questions for discussion. It could also help remind board members of the ‘why they’re serving their organization (i.e. its purpose) as a way to reorient their attention to the larger goals.