Conducting a Board of Directors Meeting

Conducting a board of director meeting isn’t easy and can be complicated, especially when there are many perspectives to consider. A board needs to come to a consensus on many issues, which can be difficult when some members are more vocal while others are less active. It can also be difficult to keep discussions on pace and on time particularly if the board goes over its time limit.

A well-written agenda as well as a streamlined distribution process of documents for the board is crucial to a successful board meeting. To ensure that each member of the board is aware of all the details they require to be able to participate and be able to participate, it is recommended for the board’s management to create a “board package” prior to the meeting and distribute it with everyone 3 to 4 days before the meeting. This gives directors the opportunity to discuss key background information with peers and ask questions prior to when the board’s meeting, allowing the majority of the meeting to be spent on strategic discussions.

A clear decision-making process is also important for conducting an effective board of directors meeting. It is helpful to clarify the process for making decisions based on consensus or votes and also to establish a timeframe for the moment when decisions are made. This allows for an open discussion and ensures that all perspectives are considered.

Finally, it is important that the chair of the board actively facilitate discussions and encourage everyone on the board to take part. It can be detrimental to the board if one or an individual dominates the discussion. This can lead to a lack of participation from others and result in poor decisions. To prevent this from happening, at the beginning of a meeting the chair may establish rules that encourage concise remarks as well as equal airtime to each board members.

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