Online board meetings are a convenient and efficient method for non-profit organizations to conduct business. However, as with any other meeting, the effectiveness of a meeting held online can be affected by several factors. This article will help you make virtual board meetings more productive and the common pitfalls you need to avoid.
Inactivity
Many nonprofit boards struggle to keep remote participants engaged during meetings. This is especially when your organization has made the switch to meeting remotely from face-to-face meetings. Meetings can be impacted by low participation If your board members aren’t used to interacting via video or are struggling with the technology itself.
It is hard to convince participants to attend meetings via video when committee reports are not the most interesting portion of the agenda. To combat this, ask your committee members to include a question or request for feedback from the board in their reports.
Inadequate meeting minutes
Your board’s designated minute-takers have the responsibility of ensuring that the most important discussions and decisions that are made during your virtual meetings are recorded in a concise manner. They should not write about informal discussions or personal opinions, and should seek to achieve a data-centric strategies in M&A execution balance between thoroughness and brevity. It is also crucial that your minutes are recorded exactly as they were, and that you have an established system to ensure safe storage of all documents including governing documents, financial reports, and more. This will prevent confusion and improve accountability.