The way the board meetings are conducted has an enormous influence on how productive and insightful the discussions are. It is essential to establish clear expectations regarding how meetings should function and how they are conducted.
In general, board meetings shouldn’t be dominated by reading reports. Instead, the chairs of committees must review their reports before they present them during the meeting. The board then has the opportunity to discuss each report and the information it contains in the context of the overall goals of the company.
Board members need to be able to communicate openly and freely to have productive conversations. However, this also means that they must respect the rights of others to speak at their own pace. While there are exceptions however, interrupting other board members is generally regarded as poor form.
It is a common mistake to bring an issue or topic to discuss without a clear recommendation of what the board should be doing. This can make the discussion seem stale and boring. Start with a general notion and let everyone consider the pros and cons.
It is important to ensure that the crucial details are not overlooked by having a board secretary or an experienced individual, take notes at the meeting. However, it is essential to communicate clearly the process by which the board comes to its decisions–whether by consensus or voting–and who is responsible for preparing the minutes.