Online board meetings are a reality for a variety of organisations, and with good reason. They can save time and money, while also providing a wider range of perspectives on decisions. Virtual meetings can be difficult to conduct. They can disrupt discussions and hinder productivity.
To ensure a productive meeting, it is essential to keep the participants on the same page. Use video to introduce attendees and encourage them to make eye contact with their cameras whenever they can. Encourage participation by asking participants to raise their hand when asked to comment or questions. Also, remind them to mute their phones when they are not speaking to silence background noises like pets and kids. Set up a time limit for speaking to ensure that no one is dominating the conversation and prevent boredom. This can be done by putting the timeframes on your agenda or appointing someone to be the timekeeper.
Make sure that your board members are prepared for the meeting ahead of time by giving them an agenda and a list with things they’ll need to be discussing during the call. This will ensure that they show up to the meeting well-prepared and prepared to make informed decisions. The board members should be encouraged to focus on the discussion and avoid tangential discussions that could not help the agenda. It’s recommended that the minutes virtual data room: redefining M&A security to be recorded to preserve the conversation and give you a tool to review the meeting in the future. Additionally, coordinating and distributing follow-up tasks to participants after the meeting can help ensure that all questions are addressed promptly and that no deadlines are missed.