As a board member you’re entrusted with important decisions that determine the future of your business or organization. In many instances you’ll make your decisions in a meeting of the board. It is crucial that everyone in the room be fully engaged and focused. If your board meeting takes place in a remote location, it can be difficult to keep everyone’s focus. This article will provide tips on how to conduct a meeting remotely that will maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of your board.
Make sure that everyone have access to the documents, information, and data needed to be productive. Think about sharing documents in advance so that participants can go through the documents prior to the meeting. This will reduce the need for attendees to ask questions that can be answered by reviewing the document they already have access to.
Use slides that slide transitions to highlight important details at the start of your meeting. This could include the agenda for consent as well as action items and financial statements. This will provide structure to your meeting and keep the conversation going.
Encourage participants to speak when they need to encourage participation. This can be done by calling the roll and notifying everyone of their presence. Be sure to avoid scheduling meetings during meal times to avoid having people eat on camera or causing distraction for other participants.
Do a tech check before the beginning of the meeting to prevent interruptions and technical glitches which can take up precious time. It’s not common for people to overlook this step, so make a reminder to everyone to walk them through the process of examining their software, microphones and cameras before the meeting starts.