In board meetings, directors outline their diverse perspectives and debate different ideas to reach the consensus they need on crucial issues. These issues could include company policies, management appointments, and even responding to crises. But getting a consensus is not as easy as it looks. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to make any major decision without the complete backing of your helpful resources board members and getting them on the same as one another can be a tiring endeavor.
The first step is to create an organizational structure to ensure that each meeting will yield the best results. This means sending out materials for meetings at least one week prior to the meeting in order to give attendees time to read and comprehend the materials. In addition many boards now follow a practice of having an internal meeting that is brief prior to the actual board meeting, where they discuss the agenda items ahead of time.
The next step is to ensure that the purpose of the meeting is clearly stated. This will help keep the focus and drives discussions and ensures that the board’s decision-making process is transparent and efficient.
Also, encourage participation by requesting feedback at the end of each meeting. This will help you determine and resolve any issues in the way you run your board and help them stay on path to achieving their goals. This can be done through surveys, anonymous polls or facilitated discussion.