Board meetings are the foundation of a company’s governance. But, they must be organized to facilitate productive discussions and decision-making. A successful board meeting relies on clear and consistent procedures. It also relies on ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and that the agenda is followed. This article will help you arrange your board meetings for maximum efficiency.

Begin with a discussion of ground rules. This could include discussing the process of how participants can participate in discussions, how long discussions will last, or the manner in which decisions will be made. This will help to avoid confusion, and make for a more productive work environment.

Start with a brief introduction from the chair or facilitator. This sets the context for the rest of the meeting and creates an engaging and meaningful discussion.

Review the reports of the various department heads or committees. This is an opportunity for departments or groups of members to share their latest reports and discuss any successes or challenges.

Then, re-visit old or unresolved items from previous meetings, or any new matters. These could be pending actions, projects or initiatives that Homepage haven’t been approved, or any other agenda items requiring discussion and board votes.

Discussions about new topics can distract from the main agenda items and cause discussions to overrun. This can be reduced by putting a parking item at the end of the agenda when new topics can be discussed, but don’t require immediate action. A time-frame for each agenda item can be helpful to keep discussions focused and avoid them drifting off-topic.