Running a successful board meeting requires a strategic approach and responsible follow-up. The more board members feel respected for their time and knowledge and will participate in the discussion.

Start your meetings on schedule and this will help keep everyone focused throughout the meeting.

Create an agenda of consent. This will reduce the amount of time wasted in meetings by incorporating documents and reports that all participants must read prior to the meeting. You won’t waste precious meeting time explaining these items.

Encourage board members to participate by offering diverse perspectives even if their views are at odds. Boards are more effective when there is a variety of opinions on a particular issue and this is the reason why they can come up with new ideas that are beneficial to the company.

Every board meeting should have clear objectives and a priority to ensure effective planning. This will ensure that the board has a sound strategy to achieve its objectives and reduce any risks that could arise.

Consider scheduling a brief meeting with directors prior to the board meetings to discuss the primary topics of the meeting. This will build trust and familiarity with the directors and provide them with solid foundations from which to base their decisions. You might want to consider using tools to gather feedback from your board after each meeting. This can be done by using open-ended question, or a simple polling program. The more information you gather about the board meeting the better you’ll be able plan the next meeting.

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