Online Board Meetings Benefits
A virtual board meeting is an excellent method of saving time and energy for your non-profit organization. It lets your members take part regardless of their work schedule, quarantine and travel restrictions. Virtual meetings can be quite challenging if they are not managed properly. However following a few easy guidelines can result in a productive online meeting with a strong board engagement and effective documentation.
Start with a clear and concise agenda. Include your board members in the planning process and give them copies well in advance of the meeting to enable them to prepare for the discussion. This will help keep your board on the right track and ensures that all relevant topics are addressed during the meeting.
Make sure you use video conferencing tools in your meetings to ensure that all participants can see one another. If members of the board can’t understand body language and hear each other clearly, it’s difficult to be engaged. Video conferencing is an excellent option to cut out distractions like children, pets, and household movements.
Include all the decisions taken during the meeting, and the notes of every person who participated. The meeting minutes are more helpful to refer to later and ensures that each decision is documented in full. If you don’t document your decisions in a timely manner this could result in confusion and conflicting information later on. Be sure to have an individual minute-taker who is aware of the importance of recording all discussions and decisions in writing.