A board meeting structure that is custom-made to the needs of your business can support productive discussions and make sure that all important points are outlined. There are certain conventions that you should adhere to, but it’s also important to be flexible and open to any changes.
Start the meeting by calling the meeting to order and reviewing the agenda. The chair of the board will ask whether there are any changes or additions that should be made. The chair of the board will vote on the agenda to discuss and decision.
The board is able to discuss reports from various departments and committees that need to be presented. This section of the board meeting usually includes updates on progress, financial statements and budgets as well as proposal reviews. It is recommended to limit the number of topics related to reports to avoid the meeting getting bogged down with administrative issues.
The chair assists board members find a common ground on which to discuss and agree on solutions. When there aren’t any more discussions to be held or the end time approaches, the chair adjourns the meeting of the board.
Directors can be distracted by the new topics of discussion that arise during the board meeting, and this can result in important discussions getting lost. To avoid this it is possible to include an “parking lot” item on the agenda, where directors can push random topics that should be discussed, but that aren’t top priorities. This allows the board to consider the topics and determine whether they should be explored further or added to the agenda for the next meeting.