Have you ever sat through a board meeting and wondered, “Are we getting anything done here?”
Maybe you were leading the meeting and it was falling flat. Or one of the members was going on about something off-topic, and eyes were starting to glaze over.
Can we just admit, board meetings are a pain point for everyone? Leaders and board members alike? We know they are necessary, so we grit our teeth and bear it. But by taking that approach, we miss opportunities to inspire and mobilize our board members.
If you have boring board meetings, what kind of board are you going to have? A boring, disengaged board.
Here’s the truth: with planning, persistence and a bit of creativity, any leader can run a better board meeting – one that is worthwhile, productive – and, dare I say, enjoyable. Are you willing to make the effort? If so, start with these four important questions.
Do You Believe Board Meetings Are Important?
Most non-profits don’t treat board meetings as really important moments in board members’ engagement with the organization.
Remember, your board members are in a very powerful position. They hold your organization in trust. And their decisions can make or break your organization.
The last thing you want to do is take these important team members for granted and subject them to boring meetings.
Remember, most board members don’t really know their jobs. They are trying to get to know the organization, learn who’s who and figure out their roles. Board meetings are the time to educate them, inspire them and send them out with a clear role and mission.
Wouldn’t you love to have a fired-up, high-performing board? It’s a dream when everyone is working together seamlessly toward the same worthwhile goals. Let’s look at some questions to help you get to that goal.
Are You Entering Each Meeting With Clear Objectives?
Every meeting should have clear objectives. Once you know what you really need and want out of a board meeting, then you can design the agenda to meet the objectives.
For instance:
- We want our board members to be better informed about our organization.
- We want our board members to understand how our fundraising works and how they can help us.
- We want our board members to weigh in on budget priorities.
- We want our board members to feel fired up and enthusiastic after the board meeting.
Now, plan the agenda to focus on that topic. For instance, if you want to fire up your board, plan a part of the meeting that’s high-energy and enthusiastic. Or, if you want to teach them about the organization, take a break from the usual board meeting and give them a look at one of your programs in action.
Can you pare back the reports to leave room for another (More exciting) discussion?
I once heard of a board that purchased a Nerf gun for its chairperson. They decided as a group that anyone whose board report extended more than three minutes would be fair game to be hit by a Nerf ball – in fun, of course.
Wouldn’t you like to be part of that board?
Maybe a Nerf gun isn’t for everyone, but the point is well taken. Long-winded reports are a motivation killer.
Set a standard – three minutes is reasonable – and ask every speaker to discuss only these three high points:
- What they or their committee has done
- What they are planning to do
- How the board can help
Of course, if an issue comes up that requires a longer discussion, you can make a note of it and circle back at a later time.
Are You Inviting Feedback at the End of the Meeting?
There’s power in wrapping up your meeting by asking, “How did we do as a board today?”
This gives your board members a chance to open up informally and share thoughts or opinions that don’t fit in the regular Robert’s Rules of Order. For instance,
- Did the chair run the meeting effectively?
- Did everyone get a chance to speak, or were there a few who dominated the discussion?
- Were there unresolved issues that need to be addressed on the next agenda?
As the leader, you may hear criticism. That’s okay. Simply listen, honor and affirm every comment simply by saying, “Thank you for sharing that. I will give that some thought before our next meeting.”
But you might also hear some valuable information that can help you support your board members better. Once I had a board member tell me she was hard of hearing and hadn’t been able to hear what other people said in the meeting. That’s something I needed to know! We were able to move our meetings to a room with better logistics.
BOTTOM LINE: Having a board meeting worth attending takes some forethought and intentionality, but it’s worth the effort.
Resources
#Ways #Liven #Board #Meeting
