Avoid These Mistakes When Designing Your Board Meeting Agenda

A well-designed agenda for board meetings is an essential tool for effective meetings. But an agenda on its own doesn’t guarantee a productive discussion or even decisions. Board leaders must be aware of common mistakes that hinder the effectiveness of meetings to achieve desired results.

Too many topics to be discussed could lead to rushed discussions, and not enough time is allocated to each item. Prioritize topics according to the urgency and importance. You can also consider moving certain topics to future board meetings or committee meetings to have a more extensive discussion.

Set time limits for each item on the agenda. This will ensure that your board stays on the right track and all issues are taken into consideration. Be realistic with your time estimates and consider your past experience of meetings that were scheduled to determine what’s feasible within a single meeting.

Share the agenda of the board meeting within a couple of days or at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. This gives boardchatroom.com/contract-management-process-steps board members a chance to go through relevant documents before a meeting. Some organizations also provide the sign-in sheet in order to confirm the attendance of each participant.

Define clearly how decision-making should occur for each agenda item, such as by consensus or voting. This will lessen confusion during the discussion. For instance, if a issue is controversial, be sure to clarify that the board will make an unanimous decision rather than a split vote.