It is a fact that organizing an executive board meeting requires a lot of time and can be stressful. Meetings can be a waste of time and productivity in the absence of focus, discipline or enthusiasm. There are simple things you can implement to ensure your directors are involved and actively participating in a successful board meeting.

At least once per year Review Your Meetings

One of the best methods to improve your meetings is to collect feedback. At the conclusion of a couple of your meetings every year, ask your board members take two sticky notes with them and write notes with a “+” for the areas of the meeting were effective and a “-” for areas that could be improved. Ask them to paste the notes on the back of a poster that they can hang near the entrance so that everyone will be able to see the areas that need to be improved.

Control Your Time

Keep your meetings brief so that you can have a meaningful discussion and taking decisions. Resist the temptation to include lengthy reports and “have to” items on your agenda. Consider breaking down the extensive information from your guidebook for board members into smaller discussion topics. Or, have your directors conduct their own research prior the meeting and bring their own questions to be discussed.

Board meetings can also be a chance to rev up the team’s enthusiasm and inspire the group to take action. Incorporating “mission moments” to the meeting -which is when your board members are able to hear testimonials or stories about how your organization has made an impact on people’s lives could be a huge energy boost for the group.

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