9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

By: Tom Okarma

1. Send a complete meeting package for directors one week in advance, including– Agenda– Committee reports – Meeting minutes– Background reading 

materials– Special handouts, etc. 

9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

2. At the meeting, assume everyone has read the materials and is fully briefed. – Do not penalize the many by waiting for the few to read the package.

3. Use a Consent Agenda. Think of it as a collection of all routine items needing approval, such as: – Meeting minutes– Standard contract renewals– Routine board resolutions routine revisions to policies, minor updates,

– Have the board vote on the items all at once. 

9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

4. Use board committees effectively, giving them real responsibility.

– Board meetings are for presentation of issues, discussion of options, and disposition

– With few exceptions, most “heavy lifting” should be done by committees—in their own meetings. 

– Use committees to study important issues, report to the board and make its recommendations

9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

5. Capture, in writing, all board decisions

– Document what actions were approved

– Identify who is responsible

– Set deadlines for completion

9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

6. Bring your clients “into” the boardroom to keep discussions relevant.  

9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

• Start each meeting by reading a letter (anonymously) from someone who had benefitted from the agency’s services. 

• Those letters describe how agency services helped them get back on their feet. 

• This simple practice keep the board grounded and real. 

• Share these letters with staff, volunteers, etc

7. Start out each board meeting with a Captivating Question.  

9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

– Get everyone’s juices flowing quickly– Pose a controversial, open-ended question

• If we were starting up our organization today, what would it look like? 

• It is 2017 and we just came off our most successful year. What 2-3 key steps or decisions did the board make resulting in these great results?

• If we could do one thing right now that would improve our organization what would that be?

8. Lead the meeting more effectively.– Board chairs need to be leaders, tactful, but leaders nonetheless. The directors expect the chair to proactively lead. 

– Chairs should be respected by directors and willing to make tough decisions, address problems as they arise, and lead tight meetings.

– Do not let directors ramble on. Keep the meetings flowing smoothly by respecting everyone’s time and give others an opportunity to contribute.

– Directors who commit to doing something must be held accountable if they fail to deliver.

– Lead energetic, well-paced, strategic meetings

9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

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9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

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9 Ways To Make Your Next Board Meeting Better

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