A board meeting structure that is custom-made to the needs of your business will facilitate productive discussions and ensure that all the key points are documented. While there are certain conventions that you can adhere to, it is also good to be flexible and be open to changes.
Begin the meeting by calling the meeting to order. Then, the board members review the agenda. The chair of the meeting will ask whether any modifications or additions are required. After all items have been agreed on, the chair moves to approve the agenda for board discussion and action.
The board is able to discuss reports from various departments and committees that must be presented. This section of the board meeting typically covers progress updates as well as budgets and financial statements as well as proposal reviews. It is recommended to limit the number of reports-related topics to avoid the meeting becoming entangled in administrative issues.
The chair assists the board members find a common ground on which to discuss and agree on solutions. The chair will call the board meeting when there is no more items to discuss or as the time that the meeting ends approaches.
Some directors can get sidetracked by discussions that arise during the board meeting and can impede important discussions. This can be avoided by adding an “parking area” item to the agenda, where directors can bring up topics that are important, but not the top priority. This lets the board consider the topics and decide whether they should be further explored or added to the next agenda.