Conducting a Board of Directors Meeting

Conducting a board of director meeting can be a challenge and difficult, particularly when there are many different opinions to take into consideration. The board must come to a agreement on a variety of issues, which can be difficult when some members are more vocal whereas others are less active. It can be a challenge to keep the discussions on track, especially when they exceed the allotted time.

Having a well-composed agenda and a simple procedure for the distribution of board documents is essential for a successful board meeting. Management should prepare an “board packet” and distribute it to every board member 3 to 4 working days before the meeting. This will ensure that everyone has the information needed for participation. This allows directors to ask questions and discuss background information with their peers before the board meeting.

A clear decision-making process is essential for conducting a successful board of directors meeting. It is important to specify whether the board will take decisions by consensus or vote, and to set a timeframe. By taking the time to define this can help ensure that all viewpoints are considered and facilitates open discussion during the meeting.

Finally, it is important that the chair of the board actively facilitate discussions and to encourage everyone on the board to take part. It can be detrimental to the board when one or only a few people dominates the discussion. This could result in an absence of participation from other members and ineffective decisions. To prevent this from happening, the chair can introduce ground rules at the beginning of the meeting, which encourage concise statements and equal time for each member of the board.

coordinate a work of the board meeting