losing majority shareholder support
Online board meetings can be a great option for nonprofit boards who are unable or unwilling to meet in person due geographical constraints, travel costs, or busy schedules. They can be challenging to run in a successful way and ensure that everyone is engaged and included. It is good to know that following a few best practices can make these virtual meetings more efficient and efficient.
Be clear about the meeting materials to board members prior to the meeting, so they can read and answer questions prior to the conference call. This will allow the meeting to move more quickly, be more concentrated and to provide better insight. Mentimeter is a powerful presentation tool that lets you to gather important information from participants through dynamic visuals. This material will then appear in the minutes of the meeting. This will provide an archive that can be used years afterward.
Encourage attendees to use their camera features so they can be able to see each other. This will keep everyone entertained. Set ground rules to ensure everyone is treated equally. For instance the chair might ask for an elevated hand to indicate the time someone is speaking. Also, they could ask participants to use their mute when they aren’t speaking. It’s also a good thing to limit meetings to 90 minutes and avoid scheduling them around meal times to ensure that participants aren’t eating in front of cameras.
Set discussion topics that are specific and set time limits for each item. This will give directors a sense of urgency when it comes to addressing items on the agenda, and increase productivity. Additionally the focus on specific topic areas will reduce distractions that could otherwise happen during in-person meetings like chatting with other directors or checking email.