A well-organized agenda for your board meeting is an essential instrument that can ensure productive, collaborative meetings regardless of whether you’re meeting in person or remotely. It’s a way of keeping the discussion on the topic that’s most important and to avoid spending time or energy on non-productive issues. While a well-organized meeting agenda is the foundation of an effective board meeting, you can do more to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your board.
Ideally, agendas for board meetings should be shared two to three days to a week ahead of the meeting. This gives the board members time to prepare and review the agenda. This also gives them the opportunity to request any additional items they believe need to be discussed during the meeting. This is a simple, but effective method to limit the number of unplanned additions at the start of the board meeting.
When it comes to agenda items, be sure to include both old and new business. Old business will include any unresolved issues from previous meetings, while new business will include any topics that are being considered for discussion.
When preparing the board minutes of the meeting, make certain to clearly document any decisions that were made as a result of the discussion. Also, make sure to document any motions of order and appeals made at the meeting and include an outline of any executive sessions that were held.