Board meetings in person provide more opportunities for natural conversation and non-verbal signals that aren’t possible to replicate in a virtual setting. But, with a little planning and effort, nonprofits can keep the effectiveness of their meetings when they switch to the virtual format.
Virtual board meetings can be just as productive as meetings in person by adopting best practices. Consider the following tips to ensure that your meetings will be productive and engaging:
Comprehensive Preparation
Virtual meetings require more thorough preparation process than in-person sessions. Before the meeting, directors must receive an agenda that clearly defines the discussions topics read this article – The Impact of Virtual Data Room Features and the time limit for each. This will allow them to research any relevant information and formulate questions or ideas prior to the meeting.
Share Meeting Materials Early
If you’re able to check your social media or email and forget about the meeting. Distribute all meeting materials such as documents, documents, and other information at least a week before the meeting. This will ensure that participants don’t wasting time during meetings and allow them more time to take part in discussions and take decisions.
Use a virtual board administration software platform, such as OnBoard to give your board members access to all required resources and materials prior to the date of the meeting. This way you will be able to avoid the frequent distractions of technical issues and connectivity problems which can cause delays or derail meetings. To help avoid these issues you should have your board management software provider test all connections and equipment for each participant prior to the start of the meeting.