Board of Director’s Meetings can be a very powerful way to communicate and resolve issues. An association’s Board of Directors is confronted with an array of issues that must be resolved in a timely manner. Thus a Board is charged with what can be the problematical task of obtaining a majority consensus from the Board members. The following are points for holding a productive and successful Board meeting.
Have an Agenda: Prepare and send out ahead of time to help everyone prepare for the discussion.
Follow the Agenda: Never deviate from the agenda. “Chasing rabbits” is one of most detrimental aspects that can happen to a meeting.
Limit Agendas: Limit the Agenda to three major issues or less.
Set a Time Limit: Set a meeting end time at the beginning of the meeting. In future meetings, reduce this time by 10 minutes. The chair of the meeting will be forced to become more efficient, and the other members will become much more focused as a result. When the meeting end time has arrived, end the meeting. Every topic may not be addressed the first couple of times this is done, but within a few more meetings, everyone will find that the major issues were addressed and that decisions are being made efficiently.
Follow Roberts Rules of Order: Motions and voting are key, but politeness and respect for differing points of view are addressed best using this process.
Have a Spirit of Cooperation: Remember that everyone is a volunteer on the Board and that everyone needs to have the best interests of the association at heart. Working toward a common goal should be the ultimate goal for everyone.
Avoid Interruptions from Guests: If there are guests at a Board meeting, the Board must remember that the meeting is for the Board to handle issues. Discussion from the floor or membership or guests should be discouraged unless input is requested from the meeting Chair. Input from the membership can always be encouraged at specific points on the agenda, however, entering into Board discussions can expose the non-Board member to liability. Members of the Board have Directors and Officers Insurance that covers their actions during Board meetings; non-Board members entering into discussions have no such coverage.