The way your board conducts its meetings plays an important influence on the effectiveness and efficiency of your board. To maximize the impact of every meeting, establish and enforce clear guidelines and procedures and ensure that all board members are aware of what is expected from them. This means establishing clear rules for making decisions, ensuring that you adhere to the guidelines for voting and clearly documenting the decisions made with precise minutes.

A productive board meeting starts with a well-planned agenda. You might consider using visual tools such as countdown timers and setting time limits for each agenda item to assist everyone in managing time effectively. Avoid covering the agenda with long reports and updates that will make your board members bored, and make sure to prioritize the most important issues to be discussed at the top of your agenda.

Clearly communicate how your board makes decisions: Consensus-based discussions are ideal however, it’s also acceptable to use a formal voting procedure when needed. Make sure everyone understands the process for making decisions prior every meeting.

Detailed minutes are a critical aspect of the success of any board meeting, and a reliable secretary is vital. Make sure that the person responsible for recording minutes has the right training and is a dedicated member of your board of directors team. Make sure the board secretary is noting all pertinent matters, including details from the reports of the comittee and officer. After that, promptly and my sources precisely summarize all decisions made during the meeting in the minutes of your board, and assign responsibilities for action items and follow-ups.