The protectednetwork.org quality of your board meeting is contingent on the amount of work that participants do prior to every meeting. Online meetings are more productive and efficient if participants are prepared. A group that is well-prepared is more likely to stick to the agenda and avoid getting distracted.

It’s crucial to communicate clearly to board members from remote locations how they should be participating in meetings. It is best, for instance to remind the participants that they should mute themselves when speaking and only speak up when called upon. This will prevent people from arguing with one another or leaving the meeting not feeling heard. It is also essential that the convener ask participants if they need help with a technological issue prior to getting started.

Include the rules of virtual meetings in the board member orientation materials to ensure everyone knows what to expect before, during and after the meeting. For instance, it’s crucial to send the board agenda ahead of time, and to follow up with participants a day or morning before the meeting to confirm the details, send them the Zoom or meeting link to confirm, and remind attendees of any other preferences for meetings (such as requesting that attendees be in an area with no distractions). It is also recommended to add a placeholder for an executive session to every agenda item and to include it at the beginning of the meeting to avoid confusion about whether there will be an executive session or not.