Online board meetings can be an efficient method for nonprofits as well as their staff members to conduct business. But, like any other meeting, the effectiveness of a virtual board meeting can be impacted by a variety of factors. This article discusses how to make virtual board meetings more productive and the common pitfalls you need to avoid.
The lack of engagement
Many nonprofit boards discover that they face challenges in keeping remote participants engaged during meetings. This is particularly true if you have switched from face-toface meetings to remote sessions. Meetings can suffer from low participation in the event that your board members aren’t accustomed to video-based communication, or if they are struggling with the technology itself.
Committee https://protectednetwork.org/what-virtual-data-room-information-do-you-need-to-improve-your-business/ reports are typically the least engaging items on the agenda, which is why it’s difficult to convince attendees to participate in discussions about them in meetings that are virtual. To combat this, you should encourage your committee chairs to include a question or request for feedback from the board in their reports.
Inadequate meeting minutes
The minutes-takers of your board are responsible to document all critical discussions and decisions from virtual meetings. They should be careful not to describe informal discussions or personal opinions and should strive for a balance between thoroughness and clarity. It is important to record your minutes in a formal manner and have the ability to store all documents in a secure manner including governing documents as well as financial reports. This will prevent confusion and increase accountability between meetings.