Boards- Helpful Hint #3- Consent Agendas

BoardSource has an excellent article available which discusses the use of Consent Agendas to improve board meeting productivity and governance. According to the article,

“a consent agenda can turn a board meeting into a meeting of the minds around the things that matter most. A consent agenda is a bundle of items that is voted on, without discussion, as a package. It differentiates between routine matters not needing explanation and more complex issues needing examination. While not difficult to use, a consent agenda requires discipline in working through the following seven steps:

1. Set the meeting agenda

2. Distribute materials in advance

3. Read materials in advance

4. Introduce the consent agenda at the meeting

5. Remove (if requested) an item from and accept the consent agenda

6. Approve the consent agenda

7. Document acceptance of the consent agenda

With a consent agenda, what might have taken an hour for the board to review, takes only five minutes. Because it promotes good time management, a consent agenda leaves room for the board to focus on issues of real importance to the organization and its future, such as the organization’s image and brand, changing demographics of its constituents, or program opportunities created by new technology.”

The article discusses in detail how to effectively use consent agendas. It also provides helpful tips and a sample agenda.

If you would like to access the article, just click on the title to this post.