Board meetings can prove to provide a wonderful platform for productive discussions that advance goals of the company. The best boards facilitate lively discussions and a variety of opinions that can lead to innovative insights. However, meeting efficiency isn’t always guaranteed. Board members can be distracted by personal matters, technology or an absence of organization when the major barriers to board meeting productivity organizing their meetings. It is crucial to identify the causes of unproductive board meetings to ensure that meetings go smoothly.
The most common reason for unproductive board meetings is that they repeat the same issues. This occurs when board members aren’t aware of the responsibilities they have to fulfill or when they didn’t take action following previous meetings. To stop this from happening, it is essential to record concise and clear board meeting minutes.
Another common problem is that members get drowned in lengthy reports and other routine items on the agenda. This can lead members to check out and become less engaged. To reduce meeting length, it is recommended to limit report time to 25 percent of the meeting. Also, make sure to leave the majority of meeting time for strategic discussions.
Additionally, it is crucial that all attendees are prepared for the meeting ahead of time. This can be accomplished by sharing the agenda and all necessary attachments with attendees prior to the meeting. Board members can better prepare for meetings by having all relevant information in a central location.