Preparing for the board meeting is an exhausting and time-consuming process. It involves coordinating the dates with all those involved, communicating important information, and preparing a dynamic agenda for the board ahead of time. The right agenda can lead to productive discussions, which can help you make the right decisions and achieve your organisation’s goals. A wrong agenda could result in a dog’s meal consisting of a variety of items and leave little time for discussions and progress on important issues.

Boards should organize agendas so that they start with long-term strategies and end with operational subjects such as procedures and policies. This helps keep board members focused on the purpose of the meeting and prevents them from being distracted by urgent questions.

Ideally, you should allocate an amount of time for each item on the agenda. This original site will prevent the meeting from becoming too long and ensures that each topic receives the adequate amount of discussion to reach a desired outcome.

It is also helpful to include a ‘Nil’ heading on your board meeting agenda for any items that are not strategically relevant or require additional clarification. The inclusion of this heading could prompt other directors to raise new questions that are strategic and worthy of discussion. It can also help to remind board members of the ‘why they serve their company (i.e., its mission) as a way to draw their attention back to the bigger goals.