Online board meetings are an ideal option for nonprofit boards who are unable or not willing to meet in person due to geographic limitations, travel costs or busy schedules. They can be difficult to conduct in a productive way, and make sure everyone is included and involved. Fortunately, implementing a few best practices can make these virtual meetings more efficient and efficient.
Before the conference call, make sure you have clearly communicated all meeting materials with board members so that they can read them and submit their questions. This lets the meeting move more quickly, be more focused and provide better insights. Additionally, using a presentation tool like Mentimeter will allow you to gain important insights from your participants in the form of dynamic visuals. The information will be included in the minutes of the meeting which will create a document that can be referred to several years later.
Encourage attendees to use their camera features to be able to see one another. This keeps everyone interested. Set ground rules to ensure everyone is treated equally. For example the chair could request an raised hand to signal when someone is speaking. They can also ask participants to use their mutes even when they’re not speaking. It’s also a good thing to limit meetings to 90 minutes and avoid scheduling them around meal times so that participants don’t eat their meals in front of cameras.
Establish specific discussion topics with time-limits for each item. This will give directors the sense of urgency to get things done on the agenda and boost productivity. Additionally, focusing on specific topic areas will reduce distractions that might otherwise occur during in-person meetings, such as chitchatting with other directors or checking emails.