A structure for your board meeting that is customized to the requirements of your company can help you have productive discussions and ensure that all important points are documented. There are certain conventions you can adhere to but it’s also crucial to be open and flexible to changes.
Begin the board meeting with a call to order and an overview of the agenda. The chair of the board will ask if there are any changes or additions that need to be made. The board chair will then approve the agenda for discussion and take a final decision.
The board discusses reports from various committees and departments that need to be presented. The portion of the board meeting typically includes progress updates budgets and financial statements as well as proposal reviews. It is recommended to limit the number of report-related topics to prevent the meeting from becoming entangled in administrative issues.
The chair assists the board members find common ground to discuss and reach a consensus on solutions. When there are no more discussion items or the designated date for the meeting is approaching, the chair decides to end the board meeting.
Some directors are distracted by the new topics of discussion that come up during board meetings and can disrupt important discussions. To avoid this it is possible to include the “parking lot” item on the agenda. directors can push random topics that need to be discussed but aren’t the top priority. This lets the board consider the topics and decide whether they should be further explored or added to the agenda for the next meeting.
