A well-designed board meeting agenda is a must-have tool for effective meetings. A well-designed agenda cannot guarantee productive meetings or the decisions made. In order to achieve the desired outcomes the board’s leaders must be aware mistakes that undermine the effectiveness of meetings and act to avoid them.
The overflow of topics to be discussed could lead to rushed discussions and not enough time is given for each item. Prioritize your agenda according to urgency and importance. You can also consider moving certain topics to future meetings of the board or committee to have a more thorough discussion.
Set time limits for each item on the agenda. This will help keep your board on track and ensure that each issue is given proper consideration. Be realistic with your time estimates and look at your past experience of meetings that ran on schedule to determine what’s feasible in a single meeting.
Distribute the agenda of the board meeting at least a few days or at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. This gives board members the chance to read relevant documents before the meeting. Some organizations also include a sign-in sheet that confirms the attendance of all attendees.
Define clearly how decisions will be made on each item on the agenda, for example through consensus or vote. This will reduce confusion and miscommunication during discussion. For example, if a subject is controversial, make clear that the board will make a unanimous decision rather than a split vote.