A successful board meeting requires meticulous planning, preparation and sharing agenda items prior to the meeting. It also requires a focus on the discussion topics and clear documentation of decisions and action items. This ensures a productive meeting and a responsible follow-up that will help companies reach their goals.

It is crucial to be familiar with the knowledge, preferences and expectations of each board member to ensure that your meetings be as efficient and productive as they can be. This will allow you to modify the agenda and encourage participation. Knowing each board member also helps you determine the best times to schedule meetings, and provide convenient venues and a efficient space to hold discussions.

Prioritizing the most important issues is essential for efficiency and effectiveness. As a rule limit the number of issues that are discussed at meetings to two topics in one hour. Each subject should be allocated an amount of time, not exceeding 30 minutes. If the business is in trouble and is in a crisis, it’s better to spend more time discussing future plans and hoping rather than providing updates.

Having all the documents needed (committee reports and staff reports Board packs and http://digitalboardarea.net documents contextualising upcoming decisions) accessible and easy to access prior to the meeting will also assist in increasing Board participation. Make sure that all these materials are uploaded to your Board portal and accessible to the Board before the meeting as well as during the meeting the meeting itself.