A well-planned and strategic agenda for your board sets the tone for your meetings. It ensures that your members are engaged in generative discussions and productive decision-making. It also allows for the sharing of new perspectives and insights. But the secret to having a successful agenda for your board is much more than simply creating an agenda of topics for your meeting. It requires talent, skill, and discipline.
When you are planning your agenda, be sure to include time limits for each item. This can prevent meetings from going over time and ensure that crucial issues get proper attention. It’s also important to prioritize and balance the amount of long-term strategic items with reports and other business items. It’s often best to keep the https://freshboardroom.com/how-to-run-a-board-meeting/ strategic discussion at the top of the agenda, and save reports for the end, so that your board can concentrate on the things that matter most to the business.
Think about bringing in an impartial facilitator or board member to help with the strategic planning. This person can help bring fresh perspectives to the discussion and help your board take more strategic approaches to making decisions.
Before your meeting of the strategic board, distribute the agenda and any relevant documents to board members well in advance. This gives them a chance to review materials ahead of time and come prepared with ideas for the meeting.