Preparing for your board’s meeting may feel like a daunting task, especially when it’s the first time you’ve done it. However, once you develop a method that is effective for board meeting preparation all of your meetings will be much less difficult. The board members are experienced leaders who can provide important strategic guidance to your company. They have plenty of time and capital to invest, so it is important that you make the most out of every minute of your time with them.
The first step in preparing for your board meeting is to notify directors and key stakeholders of the date and time of the meeting. This will keep the meeting at the forefront of everyone’s mind and enable them to dedicate the time required to attend.
You can prepare a preliminarily agenda after you have figured out who will attend and what the meeting will include. The board should examine it. This should include a summary of the meeting and whether it will be virtual, hybrid or regular. It should also state the type of meeting it is, whether it is a special or regular meeting. It is important to consider the time frame for each topic and how to use a strategy to encourage discussion while making sure that there is no time wasted on useless topics.
Lastly, it is important to prepare any documents or presentations the board needs to discuss and give them to all directors in advance of the meeting. This lets them prepare their questions and thoughts prior to the meeting and will avoid the hassle of having to request information during the meeting. This can also stop the meeting from turning into discussion that doesn’t address the main issues to be discussed.