How to Conduct Effective Virtual Board Meetings

Virtual board meetings are an excellent alternative to face-to-face meetings. They offer a flexible, convenient way for nonprofits to connect their board members and directors without having to make arrangements for travel or schedule busy schedules. However, the transition from live meetings to virtual meetings can come with its challenges and pitfalls. To ensure that you have an efficient, productive and engaging board meeting, it’s crucial that leaders of non-profit organizations adhere to a few basic guidelines to keep things running smoothly.

Keep the Meeting focused on the Agenda

When conducting a virtual meeting it’s easy to wander off-topic or lose interest in the discussion. It’s crucial that the participants remain focused on the agenda and that the board members don’t wander too far from the topic. It’s also helpful for companies to record their virtual meetings and distribute the minutes of meetings after each meeting has ended.

Increase Engagement of Attendees

It’s crucial that non-profits maintain high levels of board member involvement when transforming to a virtual meeting format. Meetings can get uncomfortable and stressful when attendees aren’t able connect via an online platform. To prevent this from happening, it’s vital that the head of the board create the https://www.whichboardroom.com/how-to-write-a-board-resolution/ right tone and ambience for each meeting, and establish rules for participation and communication.

One of the biggest hurdles in virtual meetings is avoiding the most dreaded “zoom fatigue”. Meetings that are too long can cause attendees to feel mentally exhausted and disconnected from each other. Presenters should talk about their videos and slides before the virtual meeting begins to keep the attendees interested. They should also encourage attendees to take short breaks between each session.