Data Management

A board of directors is an excellent way to ensure that your business is managed well and that decisions are taken in a transparent and fair way. To be effective, the board should include all members in the process and present at every meeting. Infrequent attendance at meetings can lead to the loss of productivity and leads to the decline of effective leadership. Here are a few tips to help you improve the quality of your board meetings.

Plan ahead: Make sure that all board members have been provided with pertinent information, including financial statements, reports, and background materials prior to the day of the meeting. This will enable them to be prepared with well-thought-out questions. In addition, sending the information ahead of time gives board members an opportunity to review their schedules, and ensure they are free to attend.

Start on time: Begin your meeting with a short call to call the meeting to order and confirm that there is the quorum. This will demonstrate to the board that they respect everyone’s time.

Create a clear process for making decisions A clear decision-making process keeps the discussion focused and prevents divergent thoughts that could derail the meeting.

Encourage active participation. It isn’t easy to create a setting in which everyone feels at ease sharing their thoughts and ideas. Chairpersons have a significant responsibility in this regard as they can facilitate participation by inviting input from all sides, and facilitate thoughtful and constructive discussions. They can also establish ground rules for discussion to encourage concise remarks and equal time for everyone.