Conducting board meetings is an obligation that requires attention to detail, careful pacing, and an understanding of how board members’ time is spent. To help with this, board management software tools like a board portal can facilitate the preparation of agendas and other meeting materials ahead of time which makes them more accessible to directors in addition to increasing the number participants during discussions and allowing board members to review decisions and directives in advance.
The first step is to communicate clearly the decision-making procedure to the board. By clearly stating if your board will use consensus or voting methods of making decisions, everyone will know what’s expected at the time of the meeting. It also helps to avoid confusion, such as when one director brings up an issue that’s already been discussed at a previous meeting.
After the board has settled old business, the board then moves on to the next item on the agenda. As with all discussions it is essential to respect the rights of the other board members to speak. The chair should limit one director to speak at a given time. The chair of the board must be in charge of the discussion, assuring discussions and ensuring that everyone on the board is involved.
The board votes on the new item of business, and records its results in the minutes of the meeting. If a board member is unhappy with the outcome of an election, they can ask for it to be reconsidered. They may also request that the issue be taken to a committee to conduct further investigation.