The quality of your board meetings depends on how much work members prepare prior to each meeting. Online meetings can be more productive and efficient if participants are prepared. A well-prepared group is more likely to stick to the agenda and avoid getting sidetracked.

It’s important to communicate clearly to board members who are located far away how they should participate in meetings. It’s ideal, for example, to remind participants that they must mute themselves when speaking and only speak up when requested to do so. This making online board meetings productive prevents people from talking over one another or leaving a meeting without feeling heard. Before beginning a meeting the convenor should ask participants to identify any tech issues they require assistance with.

It’s also beneficial to include the rules for virtual meetings in the board member’s orientation materials to ensure that everyone has a complete understanding of what’s expected of them before, during, and following the meeting. It’s crucial, for instance, to send out the agenda prior to the meeting and follow up on each day or early in the morning to confirm the details. You can also provide the link to the meeting or Zoom to participants once more and remind them of any other preferences you might have (such as soliciting them to tune in to the meeting from a quiet space to minimize distractions). It is also recommended to add a placeholder for an executive session to every agenda item and to include it at the beginning of the meeting to avoid confusion regarding whether there will be an executive session or not.