Online board meetings have become more frequent as organizations shift to a virtual setting. This new way of conducting business requires a little more discipline than traditional meetings in person, but it is just as effective when the meeting is run correctly. It is crucial to establish clear expectations from the beginning and ensure that everyone adheres to the rules.
Keep the discussion focused on the most important topics on the agenda. Keeping the agenda short and divided into 15-minute increments will avoid fatigue and allow you to swiftly move through each item on the agenda. Include breaks directly on the agenda. This can stimulate discussions and encourage participation.
Brainstorming sessions are an excellent method to encourage creativity in meetings and can provide some extremely useful ideas. It is important to ensure that everyone in the team feels at ease speaking out during these kinds of discussions. It’s important to listen to team members that are shy or quiet.
At the end of the meeting, make sure that everyone is reminded of the important follow-up tasks, such as completing a board survey or sending additional information, data or other materials during the meeting. These can be easily managed with a robust management of boards software that allows for the seamless distribution of documents to all attendees.