How to Create Safe Board Meetings

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A safe board meeting provides a space for directors to express their views while being respectful, critical and constructive. This lets them explore opinions and make informed decisions that will contribute to the success of the business.

The chair of the board is the key to cultivating a safe board environment by setting the tone, demonstrating respect and intervening to make sure discussions are kept on topic and civil. The chair should also ensure that meetings are running at a steady pace to allow everyone the opportunity to speak, and to give the secretary enough time for note-taking.

An organized agenda is an essential part of a successful board meeting. Prioritize the most crucial items and then move things that are not critical to the next meeting. The agenda should include sections for executive sessions as well as reports that must be reviewed or approved.

It is important to distribute the agenda and any other reports that need to be reviewed in advance of the meeting so that board members can review them before the discussion. This will allow them to be more prepared for the meeting and decrease the time spent on report reading during the actual meeting.

It’s also crucial to provide ample time to discuss and ask questions during the meeting, as it isn’t easy to get through an entire agenda without a lot of discussion and debate. A well-trained facilitator can be very useful in this instance. Board members should be able to discuss safety concerns, incidents and possible hazards.