Tips for Making Online Board Meetings Productive
Online board meetings are a convenient and effective method for nonprofits to conduct business. But, like any meeting, the efficiency of an online board meeting can be impacted by various factors. This article will help you make virtual board meetings more ibabs board process productive and common pitfalls you should avoid.
Inactivity
Many nonprofit boards struggle to keep remote participants engaged during meetings. This is particularly true if your organization has made the transition to remote meetings from face-toface sessions. Meetings may be affected by low participation when members of the board aren’t comfortable speaking via video, or if they aren’t comfortable with the technology.
Committee reports are usually the least interesting items on the agenda, and it can be difficult to get attendees to engage in discussion about them in the virtual meeting. Encourage your committee chairs to include in their reports a query or request for feedback from the Board.
Inadequate meeting minutes
Minute-takers in your board are responsible to document all critical discussions and decisions from virtual meetings. They should refrain from describing informal discussions or personal opinions, and aim for a balance of completeness and clarity. It is also important that your minutes are recorded verbatim and that you have a system in place to secure the storage of all documents such as governing documents, financial reports, and more. This will prevent confusion and help improve accountability.
