Directors of non-profit organizations can discuss a range of topics during board meetings. The topics range from evaluating the performance of an organization to discussing the future strategies. Nonprofits rely on board members who have diverse backgrounds and experience to steer them towards success.

In order to have a productive board meeting, it is essential that everyone is well-prepared and has read pertinent documents ahead of time. The agenda should be crafted with the help of a team and shared ahead of time to ensure attendees can review documents and prepare for discussions. Nothing renders a meeting ineffective than having participants scramble to grasp the most important points at the same time It is vital that meeting agendas include sufficient information that allows participants to fully participate.

Setting clear criteria for decision-making and sharing them with all participants helps the board align discussions toward a common goal. This can help avoid tangential discussions that take up the time of meetings and stops the board from reaching consensus or even voting on key issues. Utilizing technology tools for real-time top article about how board portals can help you to reach your goals collaboration makes it easier for board members to communicate and share documents, even if they are located in different locations.

The right mix of board members can create an atmosphere that is more productive, and energize meetings. It is important to choose an equal amount of optimism pessimism, a mix of youth and age and experience with new ideas. Also, changing the meeting location and/or time of day can also bring discussion to life by energizing the atmosphere and getting attendees out of their regular routines. It is crucial to assess the quality of meetings each year. Give each board member two sticky notes and ask them to rate the overall satisfaction of meetings from + (what is working) to – (what needs improvement).