The rules of board meetings are designed to keep the meeting on track, ensure that discussions are fair and provide the framework for formal debates on important business issues. These rules are as crucial as ever, particularly when meetings are held in a hybrid or virtual format.
Directors of boards are expected to be fully prepared for each board meeting by having read the board papers before they arrive and bringing their own questions or ideas regarding the subjects to be discussed. Directors must be prepared to respond to questions during the meeting from other members. This will aid in achieving the main goal of a board, which is to decide business-wide strategies and to define the team’s actions toward these goals.
To be able to speak during a board meeting, a director should raise their hand and wait for their name to be asked to make any statement or pose questions. Directors should speak only on topics they are experts in or on questions that were raised during the meeting. Directors should refrain from making lengthy speeches about themselves or criticize board members.
The chair can limit the number of persons who can speak on a particular subject and then end the debate by voting. The chairman may also adjourn a meeting at the request of any Director. A board director may also make use of an privilege issue to discuss urgent matters which are not related to motions in the process, such as excessive background noise or an emergency situation which must be addressed immediately.
