The manner in which the board meetings are conducted has a major impact on the quality of the discussions and how effective they are. It is essential to have clear expectations of the way meetings are conducted and how they are conducted.

In general, board meetings shouldn’t be dominated by reading reports. Instead, committee chairs should review their reports prior to the time of the meeting and present them during the meeting. The board can then discuss each report and the information contained in it in relation to the larger goals of the business.

For effective conversations board members should be able to communicate freely and clearly. This also means that board members must respect others’ right to speak. While there are some exceptions, interrupting other board members is generally thought to be unacceptable.

A common error is to bring up a question or issue to be discussed without a clear suggestion on what the board should do. This can cause the discussion to seem unfocused and lengthy. Begin with a general plan and let everyone consider the pros and cons.

It is important to ensure that crucial information is not left out by having a board secretary or an experienced individual taking notes at the meeting. However, it is essential to clearly communicate how the board will arrive at its decisions–whether by consensus or voting–and who is responsible for the preparation of the minutes.

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