It is essential to establish a structure that keeps the discussion on track and productive when holding a remote board meeting. This is made easier when meeting participants have an agenda in place that is a guideline for them at all times. It is also useful to send the agenda along with any documents that go along with it to attendees via the secure board portal prior to the meeting so they can make notes, add items, and review the agenda before the meeting begins.
Another way to ensure a smooth remote board meeting is to avoid distractions as much as is possible. Participants should take the call in a peaceful setting, such as a office or home. This decreases the chances that they will tune out and miss important points to be discussed during the meeting.
It’s also an excellent idea to request participants to turn off their microphones when they are not speaking, in order to reduce distracting background noise. The person who is designated to take minutes must record every motion verbatim straight from the source and also include who made the motion as well as who seconded the motion. This is essential to maintaining a complete record of the meeting which can be used for references or for legal reasons years later.
It’s also important to adhere to the deadlines you put on each item of the agenda in order to avoid the meeting getting bogged down. You can promote an efficient meeting by encouraging participants to leave ad-hoc topics in a parking spot to ensure they don’t interfere with the main discussion.