Board meetings are important because decisions made by your board – which often require the majority or even all members to agree – have the ability to profoundly affect your company. This means you have many constraints to deal with, but most of these aren’t as hard as you may think.

In general any successful board meeting requires a lot of work and thought prior to the meeting. If your board members do not believe that they are adequately prepared, they will struggle to engage in meaningful discussions during the meeting. This can result in your decision-making being slow or even be impeded. Distribute your board packets at least a few days before the meeting to prevent this.

The chair of your board should explain any ground rules prior to the beginning of the meeting. This should be discussed with attendees (e.g. how long a discussion could last, or how to make the decision). This will help everyone understand the rules and creates a positive, productive atmosphere.

The second part of the meeting typically involves data rooms reports being presented. This could include progress reports, financial statements or any other relevant information. The chair of the board will invite each member to attend, making sure that a quorum is in place.

In this stage the board will also examine and discuss the minutes of the previous meeting. Once they are ready the board can then approve them. Any announcements or updates relevant to the meeting in question can be made available for discussion. The president can also close the meeting or call it off.