In-person board meetings give more opportunities for conversation and non-verbal signals that can’t be replicated in a virtual space. With a little effort and planning nonprofits can maintain the same meeting atmosphere even after switching to digital formats.
Implementing best practices that have been proven to work allows virtual board meetings to be as efficient as meetings in person. Follow these suggestions to ensure that your meetings will be productive and engaging:
Comprehensive Preparation
Virtual meetings require more thorough preparation than meetings in person. A detailed agenda, including clearly defined discussion topics and time limits for each topic should be shared ahead of the meeting so directors are able to research any information they need and prepare questions or suggestions prior to the meeting starts.
Start sharing meeting materials early
If you are able to easily check your social media or your email and forget about the meeting. Make sure to distribute all meeting materials documents, information, and other materials at least a week before the meeting. This will ensure that participants don’t spending time in meetings and will allow them to have more time to participate in discussions and make decisions.
Use a virtual board administration software platform, such as OnBoard to provide your board members with access to all the required resources and materials prior to the date of the meeting. This way you will avoid the typical distractions of technical issues and connectivity problems which can cause delays or derail meetings. To avoid issues like this, ask your board management software provider to test all equipment and links for every participant prior to the meeting.
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