Board meetings differ greatly in the way they’re conducted, from the formal (aligning every name to that of their official titles, and meeting in a room with strict rules and rigorous procedures) to more informal (meetings may take place at any time from coffee shops to the members’ homes). They could be closed or open to the public and decisions can be taken by a variety of ways.
The members of the board must be aware of how decisions will be taken. This could be as simple as deciding that they want to seek consensus, or as difficult as implementing a formal voting process with a predetermined majority requirement.
The next essential element of a board meeting is an agenda containing all the topics to be discussed, usually sent at least a month in advance to allow members time to prepare for and be prepared for discussion. The agenda should strike a delicate balance between reviewing the past performance and making plans for the future. It should also include the time to discuss day to issues of the day, but it is essential that the primary focus is on strategic discussions, not just reviewing the past.
It is also crucial that the chair leads the board effectively. This means they must ensure that the meeting starts at have a peek here the right time, that everyone has enough time to discuss each item and that any questions are addressed. They should ensure that the board doesn’t get distracted and that the discussion is beneficial for the organization. The chair should encourage discussion and allow different opinions to be heard. The chair can also re-order the agenda and remove items as needed.