Developing a Dynamic Agenda for Board Directors Meetings

The last few years have brought waves of change for boards as they adjust to changing circumstances. Board directors are looking for ways to communicate and carry out their oversight responsibilities despite rapid pace of regulatory changes as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical americanboardroom.com/why-board-of-directors-meeting-attendance-matters instability.

An agenda that is dynamic is crucial to ensure that board meetings are efficient and productive. A well-balanced combination of management and strategic topics presentations will help your board achieve its goals while allowing you to avoid time-wasting distractions.

A dynamic board agenda starts with the most important items, allowing your team to start work quickly and stay on task. It also includes a parking lot item to push off-topic discussion issues that are best left until your next meeting.

Make sure you are prepared for board meetings by providing concise executive summaries and papers for board meetings instead of lengthy explanations. This will allow directors to concentrate their attention on the topics that are crucial for a robust debate. You might want to include additional information to help your board comprehend the issues. This could include market data (such as retention or acquisition rates) financial data key performance indicators, or milestones in product development.

Avoid discussing sensitive legal issues at board meetings if the general counsel is not present. You must be mindful of the attorney-client privilege which protects the company from discovery in the event of a lawsuit against a board member of the board.