The tone of the meeting is just as important as the content in the context of a successful board meeting. Board members are enthusiastic and are willing to listen to the discussion if they are engaged. Check out these tips to energize and run a successful board meeting:
Create a clear agenda and distribute it all attendees. Include time limits for each discussion item in order to avoid getting sidetracked and keep the meeting moving. For example, limiting discussions to 30 minutes per topic can prevent the board from getting stuck on irrelevant topics.
Facilitate the meeting as easily as you can for your board members. If you’re hosting a virtual meeting, ask them to disable notifications and close any other programs that might affect their bandwidth. This will allow the meeting to run smoothly and ensure that all participants can be heard and see each other clearly.
If appropriate, provide refreshments. This is especially important for meetings that take place in the evening, after a long day’s work. It can help your team remain focused and motivated.
Start the meeting with an encapsulated success story that reminds your board members of the organisation’s goals and current initiatives. This can also motivate them to be more focused on the goals of the organization. Last but not least, ensure that you have an quorum of all attendees before opening the meeting. This is a crucial step which can have a significant impact on the outcome of the meeting. It’s usually done via the use of a “roll call” where everyone will raise their hand when their name is announced.