Online board meetings can be an efficient method for nonprofits as well as their staff to conduct business. But, like any meeting, the efficiency of a virtual board meeting can be impacted by many factors. This article provides tips for making your virtual board meetings productive and also outlines common pitfalls that can be avoided.
Inactivity
Many boards of nonprofits find that they struggle to keep attendees from remote locations entertained during meetings. This is particularly the case if your company has moved to a remote meeting from face-toface meetings. Meetings can be affected due to low participation if members of the board don’t feel comfortable communicating via video or aren’t comfortable with the technology.
Committee reports are typically the least engaging parts of the agenda, and it can be difficult to get participants to engage in discussion about them during an online meeting. To combat this, encourage your committee chairs to include a question or ask for feedback from the board in their reports.
Inadequate meeting minutes
Your board’s designated minute-takers are responsible for ensuring all important discussions and decisions of your virtual meetings are recorded in a clear, concise manner. They should not discuss informal discussions or personal opinions and strive for an appropriate balance between thoroughness and conciseness. It is also essential that your minutes are recorded in a formal article source about Navigating Boardroom Security with Confidence manner, and that you have an established system to ensure secure storage of all documents, including governing documents, financial reports, and more. This will help prevent confusion and help improve accountability between meetings.