A well-planned agenda for board meetings sets the mood for the meeting and ensures it achieves its goals. It includes the logical flow of the topics and allows the opportunity to discuss new ideas. Sticking to the outlined agenda items limits off-topic discussions and ensures all important topics get adequate time. The order of the agenda items also reflect how important each topic is to the organization’s success.
Begin the meeting by discussing the most difficult issues. This approach helps the board feel more energized, keeps their minds fresh and makes them feel more ready to tackle other crucial topics.
During this segment department and committee leaders will provide important reports and updates. Typically the executive director is the one who presents the first report. Then follows any relevant committee reports. These reports give the board a holistic view of the organization and assist them to ensure that their decisions are in line with their strategic objectives.
Board members bring new perspectives to discussions. Unexploring these insights could lead to poor decision-making and missed opportunities. By including this open floor discussion on the agenda will encourage discussion and provides a wide range of perspectives that contribute to more balanced outcomes.
It is recommended to allocate a certain amount of time for each agenda item, based on the size of your board. This will reduce the duration of discussions and let you know whether or not it’s appropriate to pass an item to another committee. This is especially useful for urgent topics that require a swift decision.