nasdaq boardvantage

A board of directors’ meeting is a great opportunity to have your company’s leaders debate the future of the business, make important decisions and establish corporate policies. Your meetings’ success depends on the quality of your discussions and how strong your board is. Board meetings allow you to assess the progress of your business and establish important performance indicators.

A well-crafted agenda will help to guide discussions at your board meetings and ensure that the meeting is efficient, productive and focused. Directors must be prepared for every board meeting by reviewing the agenda and board papers sent out before the meeting. This is a standard practice and ensures that each director can contribute to productive discussions.

At the time of the meeting, the chair should open the meeting by making sure that a quorum of attendees is present. This is usually done by an open roll-call. It will identify the people who are in attendance to legally conduct business.

The board should then hear the reports of special and permanent committees. The board members will then have the opportunity to pose questions and discuss the information presented. The board may have to spend more time on the subject to find the best solution.

It is crucial that directors respect their fellow directors’ opinions and refrain from using body language, whispering or notes to undermine the opinion of another. Directors should also listen attentively and only speak if they are called upon to speak.