A board of directors’ meeting is a great way to have your company’s leaders debate the future of the company, take important decisions and create corporate policies. The success of your meetings will depend on the quality of your discussions and the quality of the board’s leadership. Board meetings also permit you to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and track the progress of your organization towards its goals.
A well-constructed agenda for the board can facilitate discussions on the board and ensures that the meeting is productive, efficient and on-point. Directors should be prepared for every board meeting by reading the agenda and the board papers sent out in advance of the meeting. This is an established procedure that guarantees each director is able to participate in productive discussion.
Before the meeting starts the chair should start the meeting by affirming that a quorum has been present. This is usually done by an open roll-call. It will identify the people who are present in order to legally conduct business.
The board will then listen to reports from standing and special committees. The board members can then be able to ask questions and discuss the report. Depending on the subject the board might be able reach an immediate decision, or it might need more time to research the issue and determine the best solution.
It’s important that all directors are respectful of other’s opinions during discussions and avoid using body language, whispering, or notes to denigrate or undermine any other person’s opinion. Directors should also listen attentively and only speak if they are called upon to do so.