The creation of a successful board meeting agenda is a vital aspect of running productive meetings. The agenda for the board meeting sets the tone for discussion and ensures that the board is able to achieve its goals.
If you’re a member of a board or an administrator, it’s essential to know the best practices for agenda planning to have a successful board meeting. This article will help you avoid the most common pitfalls that can hamper a board meeting’s productivity.
Too Many Topics to Discuss
Trying to cover too many subjects at once leads to unorganized discussions, less time for each item and decreased meeting effectiveness. To avoid this, choose the most important items that are pertinent to the meeting’s goals. If necessary, delay less urgent issues to future meetings or assign them to the committee for further study.
Insufficient Board Participation
Not taking into account the inputs of board members can hinder collaboration and makes it difficult to make sound, balanced decisions. A well-designed agenda for the board encourages participation by identifying all parties in every discussion and allowing equal time to speak, which prevents any individual from dominating the conversation.
Lack of Documentation
Without clear guidelines on how to prepare for a board meeting, it could be a common occurrence for board members to show up without preparation. The agenda of the board should contain all relevant documents, such as previous minutes of meetings, reports, and proposals, and arrange them chronologically to facilitate productive discussion. These documents should be emailed in advance to board members and posted on their board portal to examine prior to the meeting.
