Preparing for board meeting preparation can be a labor-intensive task that involves coordinating meeting dates with everyone, distributing important information and, perhaps most important, creating a dynamic strategic agenda for the board prior to the meeting. The proper agenda can result in productive discussions that will help you make effective decisions and meet your organization’s objectives. A wrong agenda could lead to a dog’s lunch comprising a multitude of items, leaving little time for generative discussions and progress on important issues.

Boards should organize their agendas so that they begin with planning for the future and end with more operational topics like procedures and policies. This can prevent the tyranny of urgent matters from overburdening and distracting board members and keeps them focused on what is feasible within the space of one meeting.

Ideally, you should https://freshboardroom.com/how-to-run-a-board-meeting/ allocate a specific duration of time to each item on your board meeting agenda. This will prevent the meeting from becoming too long and ensure that each topic receives the appropriate amount of time for discussion to arrive at a desired outcome.

It is also beneficial to include a ‘Nil’ heading on your agenda for board meetings for anything that is not strategically relevant or require further clarification. Including this heading can prompt other directors to raise new strategic issues for discussion. It may also be helpful to remind board members of the reason they serve the organization (i.e. its mission) to draw their attention back to the larger goals.