Board meeting preparation involves a lot of reading, taking notes, thinking/contemplating, and seeking out and asking for additional information. This helps improve the overall effectiveness of the board as a body that makes decisions and allows them to concentrate their time and energy on strategy, not on procedural matters. This prep also reduces the level board meeting preparation of frustration that directors feel when they attend meetings which are too long and filled with a lot of information and don’t produce specific action steps.
The most effective method to prepare for the board meeting is by reviewing the agenda, especially for important items, well ahead of time. Go through the agenda and rank every item according to its importance, urgency and alignment with your organization’s strategic goals. To make sure that you have the top priority items, seek input from your CEO or chair of the board. Then, plan the agenda so that critical issues are addressed first, and then discussed in depth. This allows the board to come away from the meeting with an understanding of the important decisions that need to be taken.
In addition, you should include any updates on the action tasks that were voted on at the previous board meeting. Also, make sure to verify that the necessary information is being given by the presenters. It’s also important to confirm whether all participants are able to access the meeting via video, phone or other online platforms. Send the board pack and agenda to all participants after they are finalized. Ideally, this is done one week before the meeting so that participants have time to review and request modifications.