How to Energize Productive Online Board Meetings

Online board meetings require a different level of engagement as opposed to offline meetings, and it’s often difficult to find new ways to stimulate them. It’s essential to begin by making sure that your virtual boardroom is outfitted with reliable video conferencing technology, clear communication protocols and adequate meeting facilities for each participant. It is then possible to establish protocols that will guide participants through online meetings and facilitate productive discussions.

Make sure that each item on the agenda is accompanied by an objective for the conversation for example “decide a specific action item” or to “spark new ideas.” This will allow you to move away from the subject at hand as soon your desired outcome has been attained and avoid extending your meeting’s time. Setting a time limit for each topic will ensure that the meeting is kept moving.

Begin with the most important issues on your agenda. In board meetings that are held in person, it is possible to discern body language signals to tell when members have important things to say. But, these are more difficult to recognize during remote meetings. Starting with the most important topics will ensure that everyone contributes to discussion and feel that their time has been well spent.

Use an agenda that is a consensus to save time for more controversial discussion points that might not have as much of an impact on the organization. Everyone can vote on non-controversial topics before the meeting gets underway, so you can focus on the most important issues. You might consider inviting experts to present brief talks or provide insights that will broaden the perspective of the board and prevent groupthink.

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