How to Conduct an Online Board Meeting
A video conference enables remote board members to view each other, despite different types of devices. Non-profits have the option of choosing from a wide range of low-cost or free video conferencing platforms for their meetings, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, WebEx and Google Meet. Nonprofits may also opt to utilize a board management software which includes meeting interfaces that allow remote participation without leaving the platform.
The ability to see the faces of participants can help encourage more participatory and interactive meetings. To ensure that everyone’s voice is heard the chair should call on board members who are yet to speak and limit the number of speakers simultaneously. This helps ensure that the discussion doesn’t become dominated by a single person and helps ensure a balanced decision-making process. To cut down on background noise ensure that participants turn off their phones and use the mute feature when not talking.
Directors who aren’t familiar with the virtual meeting platform and may be hesitant to speak to the group. This can hinder their participation and their effectiveness. This can be addressed by providing an easy-to-use meeting interface, and offering an orientation session to help attendees with the platform and encouraging them to practice prior to the actual meeting. The board may also establish an agenda that is strictly controlled and restricts the length of each item in order to ensure the meeting runs efficiently and the desired result is reached. Board directors can highlight and take notes on documents that are digital to enhance their engagement and speed up the meeting. They can share annotations with the members to improve collaboration and improve the quality of their meeting minutes.
