Board meeting preparation involves a lot of reading, taking notes, thinking/contemplating, and seeking out and asking click now for additional information. This improves the efficiency of the board and lets them focus more on strategy and less on procedural issues. This also helps reduce the frustration many directors feel when they attend board meetings which are too long and full of information and do not provide clear actions.

The most efficient method to prepare for the board meeting is by reviewing the agenda, especially for the most important topics, long before the meeting. Go through the agenda and rank each item based on its importance, urgency and alignment with your company’s strategic goals. Ask for input from the board chair or CEO to further refine and decide on the top priorities. Then, you can design the agenda so that the most important issues are addressed first and discussed in depth. This allows the board to be able to leave the meeting with a clear understanding of the important decisions that need to be taken.

Also, ensure that you include updates on the actions that were set at the previous board meeting, and to confirm that the necessary information has been supplied by the presenters. It is also essential to verify whether all participants can access the meeting via phone, video or other online platforms. Send the board packet and agenda to all participants once they have been finalized. This is best done at least one week prior to the meeting in order to allow participants time to look over the agenda and make any changes that are required.