How to Conduct Effective Online Board Meetings

Online board meetings are an excellent option for non-profit boards who are unable or unwilling to meet in person due to geographical constraints, travel expenses or a busy schedule. They can be challenging to run in a successful way and ensure that everyone is involved and feels included. Fortunately, implementing a few best practices will make these virtual meetings more efficient and efficient.

Before the conference call, be sure you have clearly communicated all materials for the meeting to board members so that they are able to read them and then submit their questions. This will allow the meeting to move more quickly, be more focused and provide better insights. Mentimeter is an effective presentation tool that allows you to gather important information from your participants via dynamic images. The material will be later included in the minutes of the meeting, creating a permanent record that can be referred to in the future later.

Encourage participants to use their camera features so they can be able to see each other. This keeps everyone interested. Establish ground rules to ensure that everyone is treated equally. For example the chair can ask for a raised hand to signal the time someone is speaking. Also, they can request attendees to use their mute even when they’re not speaking. It is also a good idea to limit meetings to 90 minutes, and to avoid scheduling meetings http://boardmgmt.net/ways-of-increasing-productivity-and-decreasing-administrative-burden-for-a-manager around meal times in order to keep participants from eating on camera.

Establish specific discussion topics with time-limits for each item, which will give directors the feeling of urgency to get things done on the agenda, and improve productivity. Focusing on specific topics will also reduce distractions during meetings, like talking with other directors or checking emails.