Board meetings are a great opportunity for directors of non-profit organizations to discuss a variety of issues. These topics can range from evaluating the performance an organization to discussing the future strategies. Nonprofits often rely on the suggestions of board members who have diverse backgrounds and experiences to guide the organization towards success.
To ensure a successful board meeting, it’s important that everyone is prepared and has read relevant documentation ahead of time. Ideally, the agenda should be designed together and shared beforehand to ensure that participants have time to review the materials and prepare for discussions. It is crucial to include enough information for the participants to to effectively participate.
By establishing clear guidelines for decision-making and communicating the criteria to all participants, the board can align discussions around an agreed-upon goal. This helps avoid tangential discussions that eat the time of meetings and hinder the board from reaching a consensus or voting on important issues. Utilizing technology tools that allow real-time collaboration makes it easier for board members to communicate and share documents, even if they are geographically dispersed.
The right mix of board members can help energize meetings and lead to more productive discussions. It is important to choose an appropriate mix of optimism and pessimism, age with youth and experience with new ideas. Changes in the location of the meeting or the time of day also boost the discussion. This is because it will alter the atmosphere and allow attendees to break from their routines. Additionally, evaluating the quality of meetings at least once per year is vital to make improvements. Give each board member two sticky note and ask them to rate their overall satisfaction of the meeting from + (what is working) to – (what requires improvement).
