Online board meetings can be an ideal option for nonprofit boards that are unable, or not willing to meet in person due to geographical restrictions, travel costs or a busy schedule. However, they can be difficult to conduct in a way that is productive and ensures everyone feels connected and involved. It is good to know that following a http://www.boardmgmt.net/maintaining-control-over-a-company-after-losing-majority-shareholder-support/ few best practices will make these virtual meetings more effective and efficient.
Before the conference call, make sure to communicate clearly all meeting materials to board members to allow them to review them and answer their questions. This helps the meeting move more quickly, be more focused, and produce better insights. Furthermore using a presentation software like Mentimeter can allow you to gain important insights from your participants via dynamic visuals. This material will then appear in the minutes of the meeting. This will provide an archive that can be referred to in the future further down the line.
Encourage participants to use the camera functions of their devices so that they can be able to see each other, which helps keep everyone entertained. Set ground rules to ensure everyone is treated equally. For example, the chair can request a raised hand to signal the time someone is speaking. Also, they could ask people to use their mutes when they aren’t speaking. It’s also a good thing to limit meetings to 90-minutes and avoid scheduling them during meals so that people do not eat in camera.
Set specific discussion topics and allocate time for each item. This will give directors a sense urgency in addressing issues on the agenda, and boost productivity. The focus on a specific topic will also help eliminate distractions during meetings, such having conversations with other directors or checking emails.
