Virtual meetings are becoming more popular for a variety of reasons, whether it’s because they can save time and money by reducing travel costs and also allow board members more flexibility, or boost communication. Virtual meetings are beneficial in many ways but they also have certain pitfalls. A well-prepared and executed virtual meeting can be just as efficient as an in-person meeting, but it’s important to keep in mind certain points to consider when organizing and hosting these kinds of events.
Be sure that everyone has the correct equipment and software. It isn’t easy to keep the entire board engaged when there are technical difficulties that prevent attendees from hearing one another, seeing presentations or using their camera. To avoid such issues, it’s a great idea to give everyone detailed instructions on how they can examine their cameras and microphones prior to the meeting begins.
Make sure the agenda is set prior to the meeting to ensure that discussions are focused. Boards can get entangled in conversational side-bars when there isn’t a set agenda to guide the meeting. Be sure that all topics are covered within the allocated time to ensure that your attendees don’t feel http://seboardroom.com/helpful-tips-on-how-to-run-an-effective-virtual-board-meeting/ that they did nothing or that their time was wasted.
The camaraderie and conversations that take place during in-person board meetings are hard to duplicate online. There are ways to enhance your online experience by adding fun and engaging activities like breakout sessions or a quiz. Use regular feedback loops to collect information about how members and directors are taking part in the meeting. Find out what is working and what’s not, and what could be improved.
