The way the board meetings are conducted can have an impact on how productive and insightful the discussions are. It is important to have clear expectations of the manner in which meetings are conducted and how they will be conducted.
In general, board meetings shouldn’t be focused on reading reports. Instead, committee chairs should review their reports prior to the time of the boardroomate.com/advantages-of-paperless-board-meetings/ meeting and present them at the meeting. The board then has the opportunity to discuss each report, and the information contained therein in relation to the larger goals of the company.
For productive conversations board members need to be able speak freely and without fear. This means that board members must respect other members‘ right to speak. Although there are exceptions, interrupting other board members is generally regarded as poor form.
A common mistake is to present a problem or issue to be discussed without having a clear plan regarding what the board must do. This can cause the discussion to feel directionless and overly long. Start with a general notion and let everyone consider the pros and cons.
It is essential to ensure that important information is not left out by having a board secretary, or a different experienced person to take notes at the meeting. It is important to communicate clearly how the board will take its decisions, whether it is by the vote or consensus and who is accountable for the preparation of minutes.
