Preparing for board meetings can be an arduous task. It requires coordinating dates with all the participants, distributing important details, and creating a dynamic agenda for the board ahead of time. The proper agenda can result in productive discussions, which will enable you to make efficient decisions and help your company achieve its goals. If you choose the wrong one, it could result in a dog’s breakfast comprising a multitude of items with little time left to have a lively discussion and progress on crucial issues.
Boards should structure their agendas to start with planning for the future and finish with more practical topics such as procedures and policies. This helps keep board members focused on the goals of the meeting and prevents them from being distracted by urgent issues.
Idealy, you should allot a certain amount of time for each item on the agenda. This will help to prevent the meeting from becoming too long and ensure that each topic gets the right amount of discussion to achieve a desired outcome.
It is also helpful to include a section titled ‘Nil’ on the agenda for your board meeting for any items that are not strategically relevant or require additional clarification. This will encourage other directors to bring up new strategic questions. It can also serve to remind board members of the reason they’re serving their organization (i.e., its mission) as a way to draw their focus back to the bigger picture.