Avoid These Mistakes When Designing Your Board Meeting Agenda

An agenda that is well-planned is crucial for effective meetings. A well-designed agenda does not guarantee productive meetings or the decisions made. Board leaders must be aware of the most common errors that can hamper the effectiveness of meetings in order to achieve the desired results.

The overflow of topics to be discussed can lead to rushed discussions and not enough time is allocated to each item. To prevent this from happening, prioritize topics by importance and urgency. You can also take into consideration whether certain topics can be put off until committee sessions or future board meetings to allow for more in-depth discussion.

Give specific time limits to each agenda item. This will allow your board to stay on track and ensure that each issue is given proper consideration. Be realistic in your time estimates and review your past experiences of meetings that ran on time to determine what is truly feasible within a single meeting.

Share the agenda of the board meeting at least a few days or at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. This gives the board members a chance to go through relevant documents prior to the meeting. Some organizations include a sign-in form to confirm the attendance.

Clearly define how decision-making will be conducted for every agenda item, such as by consensus or vote. This will eliminate confusion and miscommunication during the discussion. For instance, if a issue is controversial, be sure to clarify that the board will take an unanimous decision rather than a split vote.

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