It is often difficult and confusing to conduct an effective board meeting, especially when a variety of perspectives are being taken into consideration. The board must come to a an agreement on a number of issues and this can be difficult when certain members are more vocal than others are less involved. It can be a challenge to keep the discussions on track, especially when they go over the time limit.
A well-written agenda and well-organized distribution system for board documents is essential to a successful meeting of the board. 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 to participate. This allows directors to ask questions and discuss details with their peers before the board meeting.
A clear decision-making process is essential for conducting the most successful board of directors meeting. It is crucial to clarify whether the board will take decisions by consensus or vote and to establish a timeframe. Making the effort to define this will help ensure that all viewpoints are considered and permits an open discussion during the meeting.
It is also crucial that the chair of the board actively facilitates discussions and encourages all members to participate. It can be detrimental to the board if an individual dominates the discussion. This could result in find a lack of participation from other board members and ineffective decisions. To avoid this, at the beginning of a meeting the chair may introduce rules that encourage short remarks and equal time for every board members.