Online board meetings are a convenient and effective way for nonprofits to conduct business. However, as with any meeting, the efficiency of a meeting held online is affected by several factors. This article will discuss how to make virtual board meetings more productive and the most common pitfalls to avoid.
A lack of engagement
Many boards of nonprofits find that they face challenges in keeping members who are not in the office. This is especially the case if your company has made the switch to meeting remotely from face-toface meetings. Meetings may be affected by low participation when members of the board aren’t comfortable communicating via video, or if they struggle with the technology.
It is difficult to get participants to take part in an online meeting when committee reports aren’t the most interesting part of the agenda. Encourage your committee chairpersons to include in their reports a question or a request for feedback from the Board.
Inadequate meeting minutes
Your board’s designated minute-takers are responsible for ensuring that the most important discussions and decisions from your virtual meetings are recorded in a clear, concise manner. They should be careful not to describe personal opinions or informal discussions and strive for a balance between completeness and clarity. It is also essential that your minutes are recorded in a formal manner and that you Strategic Planning have an established system to secure the storage of all documents, including governing documents, financial reports, and more. This will eliminate confusion and increase accountability between meetings.