When your board is meeting, you should ensure that everyone is prepared. One way to ensure this is to send out meeting materials at least a week prior to the actual meeting. This allows both new and veteran members the chance to read and prepare for the discussion.
Communication with your board is also important prior to the meeting. This will allow any bad information to be announced beforehand, so that it doesn’t come as unexpected at the time of the meeting. It’s also a great time to speak with committees or officers who have reports due during the meeting. A clear communication line between management and the board is important, especially in the event of issues that require immediate attention.
Limit the discussion topics in the meeting to topics that are scheduled for discussion. This will enable you to go through each subject in a timely manner and ensure that the time allocated to the board is used productively.
Don’t be discouraged by disagreements that might arise during discussions. Boards that encourage diversity in thinking are better than those who have a single viewpoint. A little conflict can be an excellent thing.
It’s also find crucial to establish a habit of reviewing the board’s past decisions at every meeting. This can help you avoid repeating the same mistakes in future meetings, and also highlight areas of improvement. A record of how decisions were made could be helpful in the event of disputes in the future.