Board meeting preparation involves a lot of reading, taking notes, thinking/contemplating, and seeking out and asking for additional information. This increases the efficiency of the board and lets them spend more time on the strategy, and less time on procedural issues. This also helps reduce the anxiety that directors experience when they attend board meetings that are long and filled with a lot of information, and do not produce clear action steps.
The best way to prepare yourself for a board of directors ‘ meeting is to go through the agenda in advance, and pay special attention to the most important topics. Examine the agenda and rank each item according to its importance, urgency, and alignment with your company’s strategic goals. To refine and finalize the top priority items, seek input from your CEO or board chair. Create the agenda for the meeting to ensure that key topics are discussed first and in depth. This ensures that the board can leave the meeting with an understanding of the important decisions that need to be taken.
Also, ensure that you include updates on the actions that were voted on at the previous board meeting, and to verify that the necessary information has been supplied by the presenters. It’s also crucial to confirm that all participants can access the meeting via phone, video or other online platforms. Once the board pack and agenda are approved then send them out to all participants. It is recommended to do this a week in advance of the meeting so that participants have ample time to review the agenda and make modifications.