Online board meetings can be a great option for nonprofit boards that are unable, or not willing to meet in person due to geographical constraints, travel expenses or a busy schedule. However they can be challenging to conduct in a way that is productive and makes sure everyone feels at ease and feels included. Fortunately, implementing a few best practices will make these virtual meetings more efficient and efficient.
Before the conference call, make sure to clearly communicate all meeting materials with board members to allow them to review them and answer their questions. This will allow the meeting to be more focused, run faster and produce better insights. Furthermore using a presentation tool like Mentimeter can allow you to gather important insights from your attendees through dynamic visuals. The information will be included in the minutes of the meeting, creating an archive that can be used years afterward.
Encourage participants to use the camera features of their devices so that they can see each other, which helps keep everyone interested. Also, set guidelines that allow everyone to be equally involved, such as the chair asking for a raised hand to recognize when someone is talking or requesting that people make use of their mute buttons in the event that they are not speaking. It’s also a good idea to limit meetings to 90-minutes and avoid scheduling them during meal times so that participants do not eat in camera.
Set discussion topics that are specific and time-limits for each item. This will give directors a sense urgency in addressing items on the agenda and will increase productivity. Additionally that you are focusing on particular topic areas will cut down on distractions that might otherwise occur during meetings in person, such as chitchatting with other directors or checking email.