5 Steps...

5 Essential Steps for High-Impact Board Meetings

Many board meetings do not create the impact that CEO's, Board Members, or Chairpersons are expecting. Board meetings are often conducted in a reporting format which goes through the motions of corporate governance with some discussions. This rarely leads to any "A-ha" moments that generate tremendous value.

Having consistent High Impact meetings that maximize engagement and outcomes requires careful planning, efficient preparation, and a solid facilitation strategy. It also requires a post-meeting analysis or evaluation and follow-up on action items. 

This may seem obvious, but does it also sound like your last board meeting?

Here are five key steps necessary to create High-Impact board meetings. 

Step 1: Define Objectives and Create the Agenda: 

  • Change the paradigm of thinking about the board. Think of what management needs from the board. What information is going to create enterprise value in this meeting? Make that your objective.

  • Define and state specific objectives for each agenda item. By setting explicit objectives, board members get a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished, leading to better preparation and more effective, engaging and efficient meetings. 

Step 2: Prioritize Preparation and Documentation: 

  • Meeting preparation should start in time to provide well structured documentation at least seven days in advance

  • The CEO should be a partner in Agenda preparation.

  • Agendas “by committee” don’t work.

  • Try to eliminate all PowerPoint presentations in the documentation unless it is provided as background information. This will support a more collaborative facilitation strategy. 

  • The documents should contain enough, but not too much information to give a discussion context, written in full sentences, NOT riddled with bullet points subject to interpretation.

  • Every document should include questions for the board or items for debate to focus discussions

  • Follow the rule of 4: No more than 4 hours, 4 topics per meeting, 4 questions per topic.

Step 3: Facilitate Engaging and Productive Discussions: Effective facilitation is essential to ensure impactful board meetings. Good Chairpersons are orchestra directors, making (little or) no “sound”, but ensuring the team makes great music together.  They will: 

  • Eliminate presentations. Good advance documentation eliminates the need for presentations. If the Board Members can read and are prepared this will make for a more collaborative and engaging meeting process. 

  • Drive active participation from all members and ensure dissenting opinions are heard. Every Board Leader should be expected to contribute to all discussions, not just ones they are most comfortable with. No “passing” in a board room.

  • When needed, paraphrase members’ key remarks to ensure clarity and common understanding. 

  • Minimize repetition and encourage conciseness.

  • Ensure CEO, Management and Non-Independents speak no more than 12% of the time. Value and impact are created when the Board Leaders are sharing ideas, experiences, and resources, not listening to a “history lesson” from the Executive Team. 

  • Ensure that any commitments or follow up are assigned with next steps and timing. 

  • Ensure new ideas are evaluated for potential next steps. Action is the key to impact. Ideas without action make good discussions but often don’t lead to impact.

Step 4: Evaluate and Continuously Improve: 

  • A High Impact Chairman will ensure every meeting is evaluated and analyzed so improvements can be made immediately and continuously.

  • Evaluate the 3 E’s (Engagement, Effectiveness and Efficiency) after each meeting. The Boardology tool measures the 3 E’s and provides recommendations, allowing your board and board members to provide High Impact.  

  • Evaluate the Engagement of both the Board and Management Team or you’ll only get half the picture. 

  • Give constructive feedback to members after the meeting, focusing on participation skills such as brevity, constructiveness, and lack of repetition.  Sometimes Chair’s do this, but it may be more impactful if provided by an independent 3rd party.

  • Conduct a more comprehensive review of the board's performance and objectives at least once every one or two years, to ensure alignment and progress. 

Step 5: Follow Up and Promote Accountability: 

  • Following up on action items and decisions made during board meetings generates accountability and progress. 

  • Maintain a clear record of action items and assign responsibilities to specific individuals (including board members). 

  • Regularly track and communicate the progress of these action items, ensuring that they are executed in a timely manner. 

  • Board members and management must engage between meetings, fostering collaboration and leveraging the collective expertise of the board to drive organizational impact - otherwise you lose half the potential impact of your board. 

  • Make changes as required based on evaluations and feedback, ensuring continuous improvement in future meetings. 

By following these five essential steps - defining objectives, prioritizing preparation, facilitating engaging discussions, evaluating and improving, and promoting accountability - your board can transcend a simple governance mandate into a High Impact Board that supports and creates increased Enterprise Value. 

Lara Katkownik