The best method to prepare is to ensure that your board meetings will be efficient and productive. When preparing for a board discussion, it’s important to ensure that you have the right equipment and the right space. It is also important to make sure that your team has the knowledge required.
Begin by setting the agenda. Set the date and time ahead of time so that your team has time to plan their attendance and mark their calendars. You can also distribute the materials for the board well ahead of time so that your board members will have ample time to go over them prior to the meeting.
During this time it’s a good idea to determine what topics will be most relevant and necessary to discuss. It is also important to think about what you’d like to accomplish during the meeting, and include any milestones or action items to reach. This will help you determine the amount of time you will need for each item and help you keep your meetings focussed and on target.
Make a draft agenda and distribute it to the executive director and the chair of the board and any other stakeholders in the mix. In most cases, new items are suggested at this moment, so it’s essential to be flexible and realistic about how you deal with new ideas. Consider parking or leaving items for a later meeting when they don’t appear be appropriate.
It’s important to have a system in place for recording and distributing minutes. Boardable allows you to distribute and publish minutes as soon as they’re in place. You can assign tasks to board members and track progress between meetings.