Successful Board Meetings

As we mentioned in our article on working with the Board of Directors, keeping the Board informed is our number one principle. Board meetings are one of the ways of doing this, in addition to regular reporting.

How Often?

In the early stages of a business, it is helpful to meet monthly. Later on, you might move to quarterly meetings. The discipline of regular meeting, with reporting, and agendas, is a way of getting additional minds into your business, which benefits you, and creates commitment on the part of the board.

The meetings don’t always have to be in person. There are so many tools (see our Operations links) such as GotoMeeting and others, where you can be virtually face to face without any travel. However, at least once a year, it is important to gather together in person.

Preparation – Calls

Our rule of thumb is to have a pre-meeting call with each Board member to discuss any big issues that are pending, and get their viewpoint. Don’t risk going to the meeting without hearing their issues prior. As we said in our other article, the principle is: No surprises.

Preparation: Packets & Agendas

At least 5 days prior to the board meeting, every board member should receive a packet of reading matter. This will allow them to discuss the agenda items without needed background briefings. Take into consideration that board members are busy. If you send a packet two days in advance they may not have time to read, which makes the meeting time quite inefficient.

The agenda should be prioritized with the important matters first. Always allow time at the beginning of the meeting for board members to suggest a different order to the agenda, or to add items. Always agree on the length of the meeting.

It’s often a good idea to pick a theme for a board meeting, such as focusing on a particular challenge that you would like the board to help you tackle.

Meeting Follow-up

Following the meeting, have a post-call with any member who may have left the meeting dissatisfied, or, to clarify anything that may have been lingering after the meeting.