The quality of your board’s meetings depends on the amount of work that members do before each one. If they take the time to prepare for online meetings, they will make the meetings more productive and efficient. A well-prepared group is more tricks to organize workflow likely to adhere to the agenda, and make sure they do not get distracted by any tangent.
It’s important to communicate clearly to board members on the remote what they are expected to do in meetings. It’s best, for example to remind attendees to turn off their phones when speaking, and only speak when requested to do so. This will prevent people from arguing with one another or leaving the meeting without feeling heard. Before a meeting starts the convenor should ask participants to identify any tech issues they require assistance with.
Include the rules of virtual meetings in the orientation for board members document to ensure that everyone understands what to expect prior to and after the meeting. It’s important, for example, to send out the agenda prior to the meeting and then to follow up the day or morning before to confirm the agenda details. You can also give the Zoom or meeting link to the participants and remind them about any other preferences you might have (such as asking them to tune in to the meeting from a quiet place to limit distractions). It is recommended to include a placeholder for an executive session to each item on the agenda. Also, include this at the beginning of the meeting in order to avoid confusion.