Board meetings can be a real drag. We all know that.
But, they don’t have to a time-waster. It takes planning and preparation to conduct an effective meeting. Here are some tips:
Always have a decision.
Information-only meetings kill attendance. You can always get the information some other way, without the bother of traveling to another meeting.
You can always generate the need for a decision: new board members, budget guidelines, budget approval, strategic plan approval, capital requests, personnel matters, policy approvals etc.
If there is no decision, cancel the meeting, unless required by the by-laws, e.g. the annual meeting or a minimum number of meetings per year.
Always Have an Agenda
This one should go without saying. If you don’t have a written agenda, your meeting will pull a Moses Maneuver (wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.)
The Board Chair should meet with the Executive Director at least one week prior to the meeting to set the agenda. In most organizations, the Board Chair establishes the proposed agenda.
Here is a simple template:
You should attach any pre-reading material to the agenda. Include a copy of the minutes from the prior meeting.
Have Someone Take Notes
You cannot remember what happened. You just cannot do it. You have too many other things going on.
So, someone must take notes. You should not have the Executive Director take the notes either. He / She will be too busy. Most boards have an elected Secretary, whose primary job is to record the important actions of the board.
The note-taker does not actually have to be a member of the board. Sometimes it helps to have a member of the staff handle the Secretary duties, as they would have time to prepare the minutes and send out the agenda and minutes. However, the outside-the-board recorder may have to leave during certain sensitive discussions.
The note-taker can use the agenda for their notes
Publish the Notes as Minutes
Board minutes become an official record of the actions taken. The minimum requirements include: Date, Time, Place, Attendees, and Approved Resolutions.
You do not have to record who made motions, who seconded motions, and the results of the vote. You only have to note that it was approved. You do not have to record the discussions.
That said, I still like to see expanded discussions. I like to include the information items, briefing materials, discussion rationales, etc.
Action items are important. Who does what and when should they do it. Many include this as a separate section in the minutes.
Here is a template:
-Lazarus Long