Conducting a Board of Directors can be a lengthy and complex task that requires a lot of work. Many of the manual processes that were necessary, such as sending documents to the board, recording attendance taking minutes, writing them down, and the arrangement of teleconferencing have been digitalized. This makes it easier to plan for meetings.
The first step to prepare for your board meeting is to take note of the most important topics to be discussed and create a preliminary agenda. This agenda should be provided to all attendees and includes financials of the company as well as any presentation materials that will require review in advance. This allows your board members to be prepared for the meeting and prevents the need to spend the majority of your board meeting discussing details that could have been discussed prior to the meeting.
The pre-meeting packet should include any reports written by committee chairs or other board members in advance. It is also recommended to make any additions, changes or corrections to the previous minutes that you have approved and give them out to review and distribution. Finally, you should make a draft of the minutes of the current meeting while they are fresh in your mind.
The day prior to your board meeting, make sure to remove all public notices of the meeting. Also, confirm that the meeting space is available, accessible, and equipped with the AV equipment you require. Make sure to invite all directors to the meeting, and provide them with an opportunity to attend whether in person or via remote.