Board meetings are the perfect opportunity to increase the energy level of all participants and to generate fresh insights from people with different backgrounds. Maintaining momentum requires more than just getting everyone in the same room.
Board members must feel they can trust one another enough to be candid and ask tough questions. This can only be accomplished when there is an atmosphere of transparency and openness. This is why it’s essential to create an environment for board members that recognizes the importance of board meetings, and tries to make them as productive as possible.
The agenda of the board must provide directors with a clear understanding of what they need to do in order to achieve their goals. The agenda should be flexible enough to accommodate any unexpected events or the need to change the order of items. The board should also be given the opportunity to discuss any new business issues.
When discussing new business, a good board chair will refrain from presenting reports, instead focusing on encouraging discussion among the entire group. This will not only save time but also create a positive environment in which the board can ask difficult questions of management.
A parking lot could be added to the agenda to allow small, random topics, without distracting from important issues. Discussions that divert attention can consume valuable meeting time and prevent the board from taking action.