Boards- Helpful Hint #1- How to Help Avoid Getting Bogged Down in Meetings

Are your board meetings getting bogged down? If so, it may be because board members are receiving the information being discussed for the first time at the meeting.

Helpful Hint #1- Consider requiring all materials that will be discussed at the board meeting to be sent to your executive director 10 days in advance of the meeting. Next, make it the executive director’s responsibility to send a pre-meeting package (preliminary agenda and materials to be discussed) to all board members so that they have at least 5 days prior to the meeting for review.

Of course, some items may come up at the last minute, but this method should help ease member’s uneasiness with being asked to make a decision based on information they have had little time to consider. The potential benefits include not only speeding up your meeting, but a more thoughtful discussion since the members have had time to study the materials beforehand.