Online board meeting is a great way directors to be part of the decision-making process without having travel. However, just like any other meeting, there are a few issues that could make the online meeting less effective as compared to in-person meetings. Internet connections can be slow and devices may reboot at a time that isn’t convenient. By following the best practices to create productive virtual meetings, however, you can ensure streamlined process and high-level engagement among board members.
The first step to successful online meetings is to have a dynamic agenda in place. A clearly defined agenda, with each topic clearly defined, will improve efficiency and ensure that the meetings stay on the right track. The agenda should be distributed to the attendees at least a week prior to the meeting to allow them to go through the agenda and give feedback. This gives attendees the opportunity to conduct any research, or ask questions they may https://www.yourboardmeeting.org/ have ahead of time.
When the board meets it’s crucial for the chair to listen to everyone, and avoid letting one person dominate the discussion. All attendees must also utilize a microphone and communicate clearly. The chair should also be aware of those who have difficulty using the technology and encourage them to speak up. Additionally, the chair should not rely on slides to present information during the meeting. Slides can be distracting and frequently consume too much time to read.
When the meeting is finished the chair should make sure to record minutes of the event and store them to be able to refer to them in the future. The minutes should be as much detail as possible but shouldn’t include any personal opinions or informal discussions that aren’t relevant to the business at moment.