24 Nov Effective Virtual Board Meetings

Meetings in person can allow for more natural conversations and non-verbal signals, which aren’t possible in a virtual setting. But with a little planning and effort, nonprofits can maintain effective meeting dynamics when switching to virtual preparing the virtual board meeting formats.

Utilizing the best practices of the past can allow virtual board meetings to be as efficient as in-person sessions. Take note of the following suggestions to ensure that your meetings are successful and entertaining:

Comprehensive Preparation

Virtual meetings require more thorough preparation than in-person sessions. A detailed agenda, including clearly defined discussion topics and time limits for each topic should be distributed prior to the meeting to ensure that directors can research any information they require and prepare questions or suggestions prior to the meeting starts.

Meet materials for the meeting early

When you can easily check your email or social media it’s easy to lose track of the meeting. It is important to provide all required meeting materials, documents and documents at least one week prior to the meeting. This will prevent participants from having to attend meetings for too long and will allow them to have more time to participate in discussions and take decisions.

Use a virtual board administration software platform, such as OnBoard to provide your board members with access to all the required resources and materials prior to the date of the meeting. This way, you can avoid the typical distractions of connectivity issues and technical issues that can derail or delay meetings. To avoid these issues request your board management software provider to test all equipment and links for each participant before the meeting.