Board meetings are an excellent opportunity to increase the energy level of all participants and get fresh ideas from members with diverse backgrounds. However, keeping up the momentum takes more than simply getting people in the same room together.
Board members need to feel that they are able to trust each other enough to be honest and ask tough questions. This is only possible when there is an atmosphere of openness and transparency. This is why it’s essential to create an environment for board members that is committed to the importance of board meetings and tries to make them as productive as possible.
The agenda of the board must make it clear to directors what they have to do in order to achieve their goals. The agenda should be flexible enough to accommodate unexpected issues or the necessity to reorder items. The board should also be given the chance to discuss any new business-related items.
A good chairperson for the board does not give reports when discussing new business. Instead, they encourage discussion with the entire group. This will not only help save time but it will help to create a positive and welcoming environment in which the board members can ask difficult questions of the management.
Another way to stimulate discussion is to include a parking area on the agenda, which allows for small, unrelated issues to be discussed but won’t distract from the more important issues to be addressed. Discussions that divert attention can consume https://www.boardroomcommunity.com/boardspace-board-management-software-review/ valuable meeting time and prevent the board from taking action.