Planning is essential to hold an efficient and lively board meeting. It is essential to get the right people in the room at the proper time, distribute agendas and other materials in a timely manner, set aside a reasonable amount of time for meetings, and ensure that everyone has access to the necessary resources.
To accomplish these goals, you’ll need to plan your meeting carefully. This includes deciding on the best time and date that is compatible with all members and their calendars. Then, you must send out a formal meeting invitation together with the board book, a document that contains all the supporting information and reports your participants need for each item on the agenda. The board book can be handed out just a few days prior to the meeting, so that people can look over it prior to the meeting and feel well prepared for the discussion.
In the ideal scenario, you should limit the meeting to two and two-and-a-half hours. This will show your board members you value their time and will prioritize efficient, effective discussions. It also helps keep them motivated throughout the meeting which can be difficult when discussions take longer than expected or the board is discussing unplanned items.
Following the agenda is another way to keep the gathering energized. It can be a frustrating experience for everyone involved to have spent time preparing the meeting, only to find it diverging from the subject. This can be a result of poor planning, off-topic conversations or the presence of a person who is dominating the conversation.