Online board meetings are a convenient and effective method for non-profit organizations to conduct business. But, like every meeting, the efficiency of a virtual board meeting is affected by several factors. This article discusses how to make virtual board meetings more productive and common pitfalls you can avoid.
The lack of engagement
Many boards of nonprofits find that they have difficulty keeping attendees from remote locations entertained during meetings. This is particularly true if you’ve moved from face-to-face meetings to remote sessions. Meetings can be affected by low participation if members of the board aren’t comfortable communicating via video or struggle with the technology.
Committee reports are usually the least interesting items on the agenda, which is why it’s difficult to convince attendees to discuss them during an online meeting. To combat this, you should encourage your committee members to include a question or request for feedback from the board in their reports.
Inadequate meeting minutes
Minute-takers in your board are responsible to record all meetings and the decisions that are made from virtual meetings. They should be careful not to describe informal discussions or personal opinions and try to achieve a balance between clarity and thoroughness. It is crucial to record the minutes completely and maintain an effective system to store all documents in a secure manner, including governing documents and financial reports. This will eliminate confusion and increase accountability between meetings.