The pandemic has made it more difficult than ever before for non-profit organizations to run and build community support, and many depend on remote board meetings to make critical decisions to ensure their survival. It can be challenging to manage a remote board meeting effectively without the physical presence of all members.
A clear, specific agenda can keep your remote board meeting focused and on topic at all times. Include your board in the process of establishing the agenda. This will help you determine what subjects should be covered. Then, send the agenda as far in advance as possible to all attendees to allow them to prepare. This will ensure that they are aware of the topics to be covered and can add any additional items to the agenda prior to. Utilizing a secure board portal to distribute agenda items and other documents will also help to reduce security risks.
Using video can enhance the interaction at remote board meetings by adding the essential face-toface component to discussions. Video also allows participants to observe the body speech of others, and to note non-verbal signals like boredom, impatience or enthusiasm.
It can be a challenge for busy boards to plan meetings in person, particularly when they have numerous personal and professional commitments. With remote board meeting software, finding an appropriate time for all attendees can be much easier. Tools like SavvyCal’s free polls for meetings let you propose multiple times for your meeting and allow everyone to vote on which times work best for them. This will save you time and effort by removing the need for back-and-forth email.