How to Conduct Effective Online Board Meetings

Online board meetings can be a fantastic solution for nonprofit boards that are unable to meet in person due to geographic constraints, travel expenses, or busy schedules. However, they can be difficult to conduct in a way that is efficient and makes sure everyone feels engaged and part of the process. By following some basic best practices, you can make these virtual meetings more efficient and productive.

It is important to clearly communicate meeting materials to board members in advance to allow them to read and ask questions prior to the conference call. This helps the meeting move faster, be more focused and generate better insights. Mentimeter is an effective presentation tool that lets you to collect important insights from participants using dynamic images. This material will then appear in the minutes of the meeting, thereby providing an archive that can be used years down the road.

Encourage attendees to utilize the camera features of their devices so that they can see each other, which helps keep everyone engaged. Also, establish ground rules that let everyone take part in the meeting equally, for example, the chair asking for a raise to determine when someone is talking or asking participants to use their mute buttons when they aren’t speaking. It’s also a good idea to limit meetings to 90-minutes and avoid scheduling them during meals times so that attendees don’t eat on camera.

Develop specific discussion topics that include time allotments for each item, which will give directors the feeling of urgency to more get things done that are on the agenda. This will also boost productivity. The focus on a specific topic will also reduce distractions during meetings such as chatting with other directors and checking emails.