How to Conduct an Online Board Meeting
Video conferences allow remote board members to connect with one another, even when they’re using different devices. Nonprofits can choose from a number of low-cost or free video conferencing platforms for their meetings, including Zoom, GoToMeeting, WebEx and Google Meet. Nonprofits can also use board management software that comes with an interface for meetings that permits remote participation.
While most discussions in the meeting are conducted via audio and video, the ability of seeing faces can aid in encouraging more interactive and interactive meetings. To ensure that everyone is heard, the chair should invite board members to speak who haven’t spoken, and limit the number of people who speak at the same time. This ensures that the discussion isn’t dominating by one person and provides a more balanced decision-making process. To cut down on background noise ensure that participants turn https://www.board-room.blog/board-members-interacting-with-staff-rules-and-instruments off their phones and use the mute button when they aren’t talking.
Some directors will be unfamiliar with a virtual meeting environment and are hesitant to speak up which reduces their involvement and the effectiveness of the meeting. This can be addressed with an easy-to-use interface for meetings, a training session which orients attendees to the platform, and encouraging to practice prior to the meeting. The board can also create an agenda that is precise and limits the length of each item to ensure the meeting runs efficiently and the desired outcome is reached. Board members can highlight digital documents and take notes to improve their involvement and speed up the meeting. They can share their notes with other members to help collaborate and improve the quality of their minutes.
