The board of directors is an essential organ that makes decisions and oversees the company’s performance and strategic direction. To make informed decisions, it’s crucial that the board stays in touch with key leaders of the company and stays current with relevant reports and other information. Board meetings offer the chance to accomplish this.

Board members typically meet in person, but with a growing number of people working remotely the use of teleconferences is becoming more common. The frequency of meetings can vary from a couple per year to every month.

Consider distributing a portal that contains the most recent board materials and agendas for meetings that are pre-saved. This will help directors focus on the most important discussions and locate the information they need quickly. Encourage peer discussion board governance calls before the meeting to address any concerns or questions to ensure that the time can be used to discuss strategy rather than looking through a myriad of reports.

Board members typically spend the majority of their time discussing the performance of the organization discussing any major changes since the last meeting, discussing key performance indicators (KPIs) and looking at future strategies. The board may also review and accept a list of old or new business items. The board will close the meeting after this.