Effective Board Meetings are an essential element of board governance and are a key element in the strategic direction of an organization. Meeting structure the agenda, the preparation of board members, and meeting length and design are all important factors in maximising the effectiveness of meetings for board members. Additionally, meeting minutes along with follow-up for action items and decision implementation are also vitally important to documenting institutional memory and ensuring a clear record of board decisions (BoardEffect).
A regular schedule of board meetings can provide an environment to allow the board consider and discuss key strategic issues which are essential to the success of the business in the long-term. A well-planned agenda for board meetings with a simple distribution is the base of productive sessions. Every board member should receive meeting materials with ample time to read and prepare for the discussion.
The first item of any board meeting should include brief overview and a status report of the organization’s performance since the last meeting. This is a good opportunity to highlight major milestones and accomplishments and to discuss areas for improvement.
The next step is for the board to discuss strategies and establish an action plan to move forward. The board should also create concrete metrics to assess the success of these strategies, including key performance indicators that can be quantified and aligned with the mission of the organization.
