When conducting a remote board meetings, it is essential to establish an effective plan to keep the discussion productive and on the right track. This is simpler when participants have a plan that will guide them throughout the meeting. It is also beneficial to send the agenda and any other documents related to it to attendees via an encrypted board portal prior to the meeting so they can take note, add items to the agenda and review it before the meeting starts.
Limiting distractions is another way to ensure a successful remote board meeting. Participants should be able to attend the meeting in a quiet setting, such as a home or office. This reduces the likelihood that they’ll be distracted and miss important points to be discussed during the meeting.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to ask participants to mute their microphones when they are not speaking to further decrease background noise that can distract during the meeting. The person who is designated to take minutes must ensure that they note all motions in full, and also who initiated the motion and who supported it. This is crucial to keep a clear record that can be used as a reference or for legal reasons in the future.
It is also important to stick to the time limit you set for every agenda item to stop the meeting from getting bogged down in a way that isn’t needed. You can further encourage efficient meeting proceedings by encouraging attendees to utilize parking lots for ad-hoc issues so that they don’t derail the main discussion.