How to Facilitate an Online Board Meeting

A virtual board meeting can be a wonderful way for the board of directors of a non-profit organization to meet without the need to travel. However, virtual meetings do present unique challenges that must be addressed. Certain issues can be solved by simply using the right tools for your needs; others require more thoughtfulness and consideration. Fortunately, there are many resources to help you conduct your online board meeting efficiently and effectively.

An organized agenda is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of your online board meeting. Make sure you have specific discussion items that are accompanied by an the time allotted and the an intended conclusion for each item. This will help keep meetings on track and prevent them from deviating from the main discussion or taking up too much time.

Before you start your meeting, it’s a good idea to make sure that everyone on your board are familiar with the tools and software they will need. Make clear the steps to log into the video conference, and also check this encourage them to stop any applications that use up bandwidth or interfere with audio. Also be sure to remind them not to enter an area with a bright light source when they’re joining because it could be difficult for others to see their screens.

The best tool for facilitating an online board meeting is a collaborative app that makes it simple for board members to prepare and attend virtual meetings. Select an app that can reduce the time spent preparing for meetings by using boards book builders and a feature that lets you to distribute agendas and other materials for meetings ahead of the meeting. Find an application that allows for real-time document sharing and allows participants to highlight their notes and add annotations.