The preparation for a board meeting can be an arduous task. It requires coordinating dates with all the participants, distributing important information, and preparing an engaging agenda for the board ahead of time. The right agenda can result in productive discussions that will allow you to make informed decisions and achieve your organisation’s objectives. A wrong agenda could cause a dog’s lunch consisting of a variety of https://freshboardroom.com/how-to-run-a-board-meeting/ items that are crammed together, leaving little room for discussion and making progress on key issues.

Boards should structure their agendas to start with long-term plans and conclude with more operational issues such as policies and procedures. This keeps board members focused on the main purpose of the meeting and prevents them from becoming distracted by pressing issues.

Ideally, you should allocate an exact amount of time for every item on your board meeting agenda. This will prevent your meeting from exceeding time and ensure that every topic receives the right amount of time to reach the desired result.

It is also beneficial to include a section titled ‘Nil’ on the agenda of your board meeting for any items that aren’t strategically relevant or require additional clarification. Incorporating this heading could encourage other directors to bring up new and important questions for discussion. It can also be used to remind board members ‘why’ (i.e. its mission) they serve the organization. This will enable them to focus on the broader agenda.