Making sure that board meetings get off to an effective start is vital for productive discussions and decision-making. A well-organized agenda lets your board members concentrate on the most important issues instead of routine updates or operational issues.

After your executive team has finalized the board meeting agenda, they should share it with the chair and CEO to review it and make any necessary changes. They might also want to contact all attendees to confirm their participation to ensure that quorum is met.

In this section in this step, you should also submit an overview of the prior meeting’s minutes, as well as any follow-up tasks to be discussed at the next board meeting. This will allow the board to begin discussions with a clear understanding of the prior decisions made and the manner in which they were achieved.

The discussion portion of the meeting is where board members can bring significant strategic value your business by offering an expert opinion and insight. This is an excellent opportunity to ask and answer questions, challenge prevailing notions, and explore the potential for new opportunities. It is important to employ effective moderating techniques to maximize the effectiveness of the section. For instance, encourage back and forth dialogue and make use of discussion prompts to guide data rooms for discussions.

You should also include one item on the agenda of the board’s meeting for any other items that are not yet addressed. This includes the review of executive reports, financial reports and any other necessary attachments. This is an excellent opportunity to establish a schedule and determine who is responsible for the next steps.