How to Have a Great Board Meeting
You must ensure that everyone is prepared for your board meeting. One method to accomplish this is to distribute materials for meetings at least a week before the actual meeting. This gives both new and old members the chance to review and prepare for the discussion.
It's also crucial to communicate with your board prior to the meeting. This will allow any bad news to come out prior to the meeting, so that it doesn't come as a surprise during the meeting. You can also utilize this time to connect with any committees or officers that have reports due at the time of the meeting. It is important to have a direct line of communication between management and the board particularly when there are urgent issues.
During the meeting, you should limit the topics of discussion to those on the agenda. This will allow you to progress through each topic in a timely manner and ensure that the time allocated to the board is utilized effectively.
Don't be dissuaded by disagreements that could arise during some discussions. Boards that encourage a variety of viewpoints tend to make better decisions than those with one point of view. In fact, a little conflict is a good thing and should be welcomed.
It's also important to make an habit of reviewing your board's previous decisions at each meeting. This will help you to avoid making the same mistakes in future meetings, and identify areas that could be improved. Recording the way decisions were made can help if disputes arise in the future.
