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The agenda for board meetings sets the tone and structure for your board meetings. A well-planned agenda will help you avoid common mistakes which can hamper productivity and result in poor decisions.
The first item in the agenda of a board meeting must be “Calling to Order and time”. The chairperson will call the board to order and introduce new members, or give other opening remarks. This is also the moment to discuss any changes on the agenda and accept the minutes of previous meetings.
Each item on the agenda of a board meeting must include a brief description of what will be discussed during discussion, and an outline of any supporting material. This information is provided prior to the meeting to reduce time and ensure that all participants are aware of the background information. It also keeps discussions on track and productive.
Prioritize your agenda items on your board in accordance with their importance, urgency and the alignment with your strategic goals. This will allow you to avoid wasting precious meeting time on topics that aren’t relevant or have little impact. If you have too many agenda items to cover in one meeting, think about having follow-up meetings or assigning them to committees that are specialized to conduct a more thorough investigation.
Also, make sure you set realistic timeframes for each agenda item. This will stop discussions from going on over and allows you to close the meeting according to plan. These timeframes should only be used as guidelines. It is fine to adjust these if needed during the meeting. For example, if you recognize that your board has a tendency to ask a lot of questions about one particular topic, you might prefer to give it a bit more time next time.