The quality of your board meeting depends on the amount of work members complete prior to every meeting. Online meetings can be more productive and efficient if participants prepare. A group that is well-prepared is more likely to adhere to the agenda and not get sidetracked.

It’s important to communicate clearly to board members who are located far away how they should be participating in meetings. It’s ideal, for example to remind the participants to mute themselves when speaking and only speak up when requested to do so. This will stop people from talking over each other or leaving the meeting without feeling heard. It’s also important for the convenor to inquire participants for assistance with a technological issue prior to beginning.

Include the rules for virtual meetings in the board member orientation document to ensure that everyone understands what to expect prior to, during and after the meeting. It’s essential, for example, to send out the agenda in advance and follow up on with the attendees in the morning or day prior to to confirm the agenda details. You could also offer the Zoom or meeting link to the participants and remind them about any other preferences you have (such as soliciting them to tune in to the meeting from a quiet place to minimize distractions). It is also recommended to include a placeholder for executive sessions to each agenda https://protectednetwork.org/best-practices-for-agenda-in-board-meetings/ item and to include this at the start of the meeting to avoid confusion over whether there will be an executive session.