Online board meetings are a great way to allow directors to be part of the decision making https://www.yourboardmeeting.org/pros-and-cons-of-the-online-board-meeting process without the need to travel. Online meetings may be less effective than face-toface meetings due to certain challenges. For instance, internet connections can be sluggish or devices may restart at unavoidable times. If you follow the best practices to create efficient virtual meetings you can ensure a smooth working flow and an effective engagement among board members.

A dynamic agenda is the first step to the success of an online meeting. Having a clear agenda with each topic clearly defined will increase efficiency and keep the meeting on track throughout its duration. Send the agenda to attendees at least a week before the meeting to allow them to review it and provide feedback. This also gives attendees a chance to do any research or answer any questions prior to the time.

During the actual meeting it is crucial for the chair to listen to everyone and avoid letting one person dominate discussion. It’s also vital that everyone uses a microphone and speak clearly. The chair should be alert to anyone having difficulties with the technology and encourage them to speak up. In addition, the chair should not rely on slides for presenting information during the meeting. Slides can be distracting and take a lot of time to read.

The chair should ensure that the minutes are saved and archived to be used in the future. The minutes should be as much detail as is possible but they shouldn’t contain any personal opinions or informal discussions which aren’t pertinent to the issue at moment.