For organizations
Knowledge Center: Governance & Organization
Knowledge Center: Governance & Organization
This is how you hold efficient meetings
Many boards hold meetings that are too long, too frequent, or focused on the wrong things. Sound familiar? You are not alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few adjustments, meetings can become something people look forward to rather than dread.
Many boards hold meetings that are too long, too frequent, or focused on the wrong things. Sound familiar? You are not alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few adjustments, meetings can become something people look forward to rather than dread.
Send the agenda in advance
An agenda that appears in the app five minutes before the meeting isn't really an agenda. Send it at least three days beforehand, including any supporting documents to be discussed.
Specify the purpose of each agenda item: to inform, to discuss, or to decide. This saves a great deal of time. Items intended solely for sharing information can often be handled via a quick email—they don't need to be on the agenda.
Always start on time
It sounds simple, but many boards habitually start late because they are waiting for latecomers. This is unfair to those who *are* on time and rewards unpunctuality.
Start on time. Anyone arriving late can simply read the minutes afterwards.
Stick to the agenda
The biggest time-waster in meetings is going off-topic. A chairperson who keeps the meeting on track isn't being a killjoy—it is their job.
If a topic turns out to be more complex than expected, note it down as an action item for a separate session. Not everything needs to be resolved in the same meeting.
Make decisions explicit
At the end of each agenda item, ask: what is the decision? Who is doing what, and by when? Have the secretary summarize this aloud before moving on. This prevents everyone from leaving the meeting with a different understanding of what was agreed upon.
Limit meeting frequency
For most small organizations, one meeting a month is sufficient. Urgent matters can be handled via email or a brief consultation. Meet less often, but more effectively.
Consider limiting the duration as well: a ninety-minute meeting with a tight agenda works better than an open-ended three-hour session where all sorts of topics are thrown around.
Ensure high-quality minutes
Minutes are not a verbatim transcript; they are a summary of decisions and action items. Who goes back later to read everything that was said? Exactly: no one. What everyone *does* need to know is what was decided and who is handling what.
Send out the minutes within a week of the meeting. The longer you wait, the less accurate they become.
Next step
Effective meetings are one step. The next is ensuring that, as a board, you also keep thinking strategically about your organization's direction, rather than just focusing on the issues of the moment.