It is essential to establish a structure that keeps the discussion focused and productive during a remote board meeting. This is easier when the participants have a plan that is a guideline for them throughout the meeting. It is also helpful to send the agenda along with any documents that go along with it to attendees through the secure board portal prior to the meeting so that they can make notes, add items and review before the meeting starts.
Distractions should be minimized to ensure a successful remote board meeting. Ideally, attendees should take the call from a quiet office or home setting that doesn’t have a lot of distracting noises. This decreases the chances that they’ll be distracted and miss important details being discussed during the meeting.
It’s also an excellent idea to request participants to turn off their microphones when they are not talking, to cut down on distracting background noise. Additionally, the designated minute-taker should be sure to take note of all motions verbatim, as well as the person who made the move and who seconded the motion. This is essential to maintaining a clear record of the meeting which can be used for references or for legal reasons years afterward.
It’s also important to stick to the time limit you have set for each item on the agenda in order to avoid the meeting dragging unnecessarily. You can encourage a productive meeting by encouraging attendees to put ad hoc discussions in a parking space to ensure they don’t interfere with the main discussion.
