Preparing For Your Board Meeting
April 28, 2024Preparing for your board’s meeting is a vital task that may seem overwhelming particularly if you’re new to the board or have little experience with board meetings. But, preparing for your meeting helps ensure a successful meeting with valuable insights and guidance from accomplished leaders and strategic advice. The first step is to make sure that each board member is aware of the agenda and have read the pertinent information.
The the difference between shareholder and stakeholder next step is to decide on the objectives of your meeting. This will help guide your board’s discussions and decisions. Reviewing the minutes from your last meeting will allow you see where changes were made and what should be discussed.
The last thing to do is pick your agenda items with care. Your board will be able move through the meeting more efficiently if you prioritize the most important issues first. This will also help avoid the meeting from getting stuck on the lesser important items. Additionally, every item on the agenda must be clearly framed to allow for information or find information rather than just to make a final decision.
Make sure you distribute your agenda to the board in sufficient advance so to give everyone plenty of time to read and evaluate it. This is especially important for physical or virtual meetings that require the participation of a quorum. Be certain to communicate with the executive team members who are accountable for submitting reports and ensure they have the required items.