Board Meeting Preparation

Board meeting preparation involves a lot of reading, taking notes, thinking/contemplating, and seeking out and asking for additional information. This improves the overall effectiveness of the board as a body that makes decisions and lets them concentrate their attention and energy on strategy, rather than on procedural issues. This will also help reduce the anxiety that many directors feel during board meetings which are long and packed with lots of information, but don’t provide specific action steps.

The best way to prepare for a meeting of the board of directors is to review the agenda well in advance, and pay special focus on the most important issues. Examine the agenda and rank every item according to its importance, urgency, and alignment with your organization’s strategic goals. Get input from the chair of the board or CEO to refine and determine the top priorities. Plan the agenda for the meeting to ensure that key issues are discussed first and in depth. This will ensure that the board leaves the meeting with an understanding of the important decisions to be taken.

Also, make sure to include any information regarding the actions tasks that were assigned during previous board meetings and verify that all relevant information was given by the presenters. It is also essential to verify that all participants can access the meeting via video, phone or other online platforms. Once the board pack and agenda are approved then send them out to all participants. This should be done at a minimum of one week prior to the meeting so that participants have time to go through the document and make any changes they feel are needed.

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