The quality of your board meetings depends on the amount of work participants complete prior to each meeting. Online meetings can be more productive and efficient when participants are prepared. A well-prepared team is also more likely to adhere to the agenda, and ensure that they don’t get distracted by a tangent.
It’s crucial to establish clear expectations for remote board members on how they’re expected to participate in meetings. For instance, it’s best to remind members to silence themselves and only speak when they’re asked to speak. This stops people from talking over each other or leaving the meeting without feeling heard. It’s also important for the convenor to ask participants if they need help with a technology problem before starting.
Include the rules for virtual meetings in the board member orientation material so that everyone knows what to expect prior to, during and after the meeting. It’s crucial, for instance, to send out the agenda in advance and follow up on with the attendees in the morning or day prior to to confirm the details. It is also possible to give the Zoom or meeting link to the participants you could check here https://protectednetwork.org/optimizing-strategic-planning-with-ma-data-rooms/ and remind them of any other preferences you might have (such as asking them to tune in to the meeting from a quiet area to reduce distractions). It is recommended that you add a placeholder for an executive session to each item on the agenda. Also, include it at the beginning of the meeting in order to avoid confusion.