Posted by Board meeting preparation checklist
To get ready for a board meeting you’re running, use this checklist to determine your steps leading up to it.
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Send out notice of the meeting
Make sure to notify those involved in the meeting days in advance. If you don’t have an exact date or location yet, simply notify stakeholders, directors and other parties that you intend to hold a board meeting for the company within the next weeks or months. Advanced notice keeps the meeting top of mind for individuals and puts them in a mental space where they’re prepared to dedicate time to the event.
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Develop the preliminary agenda
In order to estimate how long a meeting will be, you must first determine what will be discussed. Create a general outline of talking points to go over and roughly how long you need to spend on each topic.
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Book the meeting room
Once you know how long the meeting will be, book an appropriate time slot in a meeting room. The scale of the venue usually depends on office space and how many individuals will attend.
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Confirm the number of attendees and notify them of the final details
After booking the meeting room, you can send an official email notification with the finalised details. Ask stakeholders, directors and employees to RSVP to confirm their attendance by a specific date. If members will be participating remotely, ask them to contact you with this information so you can make the necessary arrangements.
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Assess the need for video conferencing tools
Once you know how many people are participating in the meeting remotely, you can determine the best setup for teleconferencing them in. In many cases, video conferencing software such as Zoom allows individuals to be more involved in the meeting.
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Finalise the agenda and send it to attendees
After determining who’s attending and how long the event will be, finalise the agenda. Refer to the previous meeting agenda as a guideline and get input from the board chair and CEO/executive director. Talk to them about the following:
– Anticipated time for discussing each item
– Strategies for encouraging discussion
– How to incorporate presentation materials and video participants
– Which directors should submit reports
Related link: 7 Ways To Write A No-Show Email
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Test video conferencing tools and presentation software
Finally, test the software and technology that you will be using during the meeting. Once you can access the space, hook up your laptop and check the internet connection, audio inputs and outputs, video camera and any Smartboard technology for displaying PowerPoint presentations to the group.
- Clean up the space
Immediately after the meeting, everyone should clean up the meeting space. All materials and technology be packed and returned to the office.
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Finalise and share the meeting minutes
Review the draft of the minutes recorded during the meeting and edit them for clarity. Distribute the meeting minutes to board members, directors and other company employees who were present at or are affected by what was discussed at the meeting.
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Ask for employee feedback
Create a digital survey that lets participants remain anonymous to get feedback on the meeting. Review the data and see whether participants felt like the format and duration of the meeting were efficient and worth their time.
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Evaluate the meeting’s success
Share this feedback with board members and directors to inform your future meeting agendas. Discuss with the CEO and board chair their thoughts on the meeting and what they might want to do differently next time.