A board meeting is an official gathering that brings together the senior management of an organization to discuss governance control, oversight and decision-making. These meetings are often scheduled regularly, like quarterly or monthly, and may also be ad hoc to discuss urgent issues.
A well-structured meeting agenda ensures that the boardroom meeting flows smoothly and that all important topics are discussed within the time allowed. It is essential to keep the minutes of meetings short and clear so that any board members are able to review them in the future, or pass them to other stakeholders.
The most productive meetings end with a list of follow-up actions and tasks for the board during meetings. Boardable’s Minutes Maker allows you to quickly create and publish the notes of board meetings to distribute. The Task Manager lets you assign specific tasks to board members. Make sure that the attendees are aware of their roles and responsibilities, by distributing minutes on time, and in the ideal case within a week after the next meeting.
It is crucial to establish a culture of respect and collaboration. Encourage different perspectives, and utilize the tools of communication on the board portal to encourage active listening and prevent misunderstandings.
Additionally, it’s beneficial to hold regular informal meetups outside of the boardroom in order to foster friendship and a more natural flow of conversation during your formal meetings. This can be especially helpful in the event that your business has an international presence, where you can take the board to operational locations and observe how things go in the field. This will help the board become more involved in the business, and will benefit the bottom line.