Many organizations have adopted online board meetings, and with good reason. They are efficient and time-saving and also allow for a greater variety of perspectives on decisions. Virtual meetings can be a challenge to manage. They can derail discussions and decrease productivity.
To ensure a productive meeting, it is important to keep remote participants interested. Use video to introduce distant participants and encourage them whenever possible to engage with their webcams. Encourage participation by asking participants to raise their hands when asked for feedback or questions. Also remind them to silence their phones when they are not speaking to cut off background noises, such as kids and pets. Set a maximum speaking time to prevent one person from dominating an entire discussion and also to prevent boredom. You can do this by listing the timeframes in your agenda or appointing a person to be the timekeeper.
Make sure your board members are prepared for the meeting prior to the time by sending them an agenda and a list with action items they’re expected to address during the call. This will ensure that your board members are prepared and ready to take good decisions. Board members should be encouraged to keep the discussion on track and to stay clear of tangential conversations which may not help the agenda of the meeting. It’s recommended that the minutes to be recorded to preserve the discussion and provide a valuable way to revisit the meeting in the future. It is also good to communicate follow-up tasks after the meeting. This will ensure that all issues and deadlines are met on time.
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