Board meetings require meticulous preparation to ensure that everyone understands the topics they’ll be discussing as well as the actions that are taken. These tips will help you establish an effective meeting structure that yields the best results every time your board meets.

In the lead-up to the meeting, it’s important to review previous minutes from the previous board meeting. Ask each director to provide any materials or reports that should be included on the agenda. Find out the chairperson’s preferences for the presentation and organization in the books for board members. Some people prefer a greater level of detail, and others prefer a traditional “dashboard approach”.

It is best to set aside a couple of key agenda items per meeting in order to avoid filling meetings with long reports or other routine topics. Also, avoid scheduling more than thirty minutes per agenda item to allow each topic adequate time.

Invite external board members to board meetings. They can bring new perspectives and ideas. Although it could cost you some money to bring in independent board members, the advantages of their perspective and other insights can often be worth the expense.

And lastly, include the key decisions made during the meeting. This will enable directors to identify them and decide if they agree or disagree. It is also a good idea to assign department heads for each decision, so they are able to communicate the click now outcome of the meeting to their teams.