A successful board meeting is an essential element of a good governance. It facilitates deliberate discussion and decision making that can propel your company forward. Whether the meeting involves deliberating over strategic goals as well as discussing program successes and failures, or addressing crucial legal issues it is vital to have an extensive and lively discussion. Board meetings that are efficient and productive are well-planned and consist of timely distribution of materials, an informative and comprehensive agenda, and clear communication of the procedure for making decisions.

1. Make sure that the agenda of the meeting is distributed to all participants in advance and is easily accessible.

It is impossible to hold an effective board meeting if participants are searching for crucial materials as they are discussing the agenda or, worse, if the material is not available in advance. This can be avoided by distributing the agenda as well as all necessary materials at least 3-4 days in advance of the meeting.

2. Start the meeting on time.

It is essential to begin the meeting promptly. Board members will be more motivated if they arrive prepared. You can do this by making sure all relevant materials are on the agenda and restricting discussion topics to the most important for the meeting. It could be beneficial to have the meeting held effective board meeting at another location, like a program site or a breakfast gathering. This can create an entirely new setting and encourage new ideas.