Planning is required to host a dynamic and productive board meeting. You need to get the appropriate people into the room at the proper time and distribute agendas and other information in a timely manner as well as set aside a sufficient amount of time to hold meetings and ensure that everyone has access the resources needed.
To reach these goals, you must plan your meeting carefully. This means deciding on a date and time that works for all members and their calendars. After that, you’ll need to send an official invitation to the meeting together with the board book, a document that features all the necessary information and reports your members require for each item on the agenda. The board book can be handed out just a few days prior to the meeting so that people can look over it prior to the meeting and feel well prepared for the discussion.
Ideally you should limit your meeting to two and a half hours. This will signal to your board members that you value their time and will prioritize productive discussion that is impactful. This will also help keep them focused throughout the meeting. This could be a challenge if topics take longer than anticipated or the board is discussing issues that are not planned.
The other key to energizing the meeting is to stick to the agenda as much as possible. It’s frustrating for everyone to have spent time preparing for the meeting only to watch it diverge from its planned subjects. This could be the result of inadequate planning, off-topic discussions or the presence of a person who dominates the conversation.
