How to Energize Productive Online Board Meetings

Online board meetings require the same level of engagement than offline ones, and it can be a challenge to find new ways to energize them. It’s vital to https://boardmanagementsoftware.info/difference-between-management-and-leadership/ start by ensuring that your virtual boardroom is outfitted with the most reliable video conferencing technology, clear communication protocols and sufficient meeting resources for each participant. The next step is to set up protocols to guide participants through online meetings and facilitate productive discussions.

Be sure that every item on the agenda is accompanied by a goal for the conversation for example “decide a specific action item” or to “spark new ideas.” This will help you get away from the topic at hand as soon as your desired outcome is accomplished and will help you avoid overstaying your session. Also, establishing an time limit for each discussion topic will help prevent the meeting from becoming a drag.

Start with the most critical items on your agenda. When board meetings are held in person, it is possible to spot body language signals to tell when members have important things to say. These cues are difficult to recognize in remote meetings. Begin with the most important issues to ensure that everyone participates in the discussion and feels that they have had a good time.

Use an agenda that is a consensus to save time for more controversial discussion topics which may not have as big of an impact on the organization. Agenda items that are not controversial can be voted upon by all members before the meeting begins and allow you to concentrate on the most important issues. Additionally, you can invite expert guests to give short talks or insights that will broaden the board’s view and help to ward away groupthink in the boardroom.