No More “This Should’ve Been an Email” Board Meetings
By Jackie Sue Griffin, JSG & Associates
If your board members are missing meetings, they’re telling you something is wrong. One quick fix is to make sure board meetings are as streamlined as productive as possible.
Here are simple steps for keeping your board members engaged and your nonprofit operating smoothly:
1. Prepare the Agenda in Advance
Earlier is better. You can prepare the agenda weeks before the meeting and email it out for review. Members may be able to streamline the agenda — or bolster it with additional points they find important to share during the actual meeting. This saves time by tabling unnecessary topics to focus on what really matters.
2. Empower Each Board Member
Board governance should be a group collaboration wherein all the members utilize their skills to help the organization reach its objectives. This requires a continuous sharing of insights and listening to what each board member is sharing. Respectful discourse is the rule, and participation is not optional.
3. Record the Board Meeting
Most simply, documenting the meeting can help prepare agendas of the ones that follow. But more importantly, having a record allows the board to check the progress of projects and decide whether a decision or plan was unsuccessful and needs to be revamped or discarded.
4. Acknowledge Appreciation
Nonprofit board members are volunteers who give their time and personal funds in support of your organization’s cause. Their shared experiences and efforts are important contributions that should be celebrated. Showing genuine appreciation at meetings helps maintain the relationship the nonprofit organization has with its board members. It can be in the form of a “thank you” letter, acknowledging their birthdays or showcasing them on your website and other social media platforms.
5. Evaluate Your Meetings
Build periodic evaluations into your meetings and then improve based on member’s specific feedback. Were discussions too long or too quick? Would additional visual materials would be helpful? Did everyone contribute?
During these difficult times, especially, there is no space for bad habits such as combative behaviors or members acting in ways that go against your organization’s culture. Periodic evaluation allows you to address issues before they escalate. The board should be a constant reminder and role model of the values that the organization stands for.
