It is crucial to create an order that keeps the discussion focused and productive when conducting a remote board meeting. It’s easier to keep the discussion on track when all participants have a clear agenda. It’s also helpful to provide the agenda and any associated documents to the attendees in advance through a secure online board portal so they can take notes, add items and review them prior to when the meeting starts.
Another method to ensure a productive remote board meeting is to limit distractions as much as is possible. Attendees should ideally take the meeting in a quiet setting, such as a office or home. This reduces the likelihood that they’ll lose focus and miss important details to be discussed during the meeting.
It’s also a good idea to ask participants to turn off their microphones if they’re not speaking, to reduce distracting background noise. The designated minute-taker must record all motions in writing and record who made the motion as well as who seconded the motion. This is essential to maintaining a complete record of the meeting, which can be used for future reference or for legal purposes further down the road.
It is also essential to adhere to the deadlines you have set for each item on the agenda in order to avoid the meeting getting bogged down. You can encourage a productive meeting by encouraging attendees to place ad-hoc issues in a parking space so that they don’t interrupt the main discussion.