Using a Board Meeting Schedule to Maximize Your Time Together

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A board meeting schedule serves as an aid to keep your meetings on track and productive. When it comes to maximising the time your board members spend together, substance is more important than style.

Begin with a call to order and an introduction by the board chair or facilitator to officially open your meeting. You can then take note of the minutes from the previous meeting or the financial report. You can also look over the latest committee reports or perform administrative tasks. In the next step, it’s best to set aside a section for strategic planning discussions or other governance concerns. You may also have an executive session on sensitive or private topics when it’s permitted by your organization’s bylaws and applicable laws.

Throughout the meeting, be sure to pay attention attentively to each presentation. If you have any questions or concerns about the presentation in any way make sure you raise concerns and allow your fellow board members to respond. Be mindful not to go off track and discuss topics that aren’t scheduled for discussion. This can eat up valuable time during meetings and distract from the most important issues on your board’s agenda. It is possible to avoid this by adding a «parking area» item at the bottom of your agenda. This will allow you to push various topics for later.

The last thing to do is ensure that you provide your board with the agenda minimum one week prior to the meeting. This gives everyone enough time to read the agenda and plan their thoughts for the meeting. It’s also a great idea to include the agenda along with any other supporting documents that board members need to be able to comprehend the topic in question.