Board meetings online are a great convenience for board members who must frequently travel a lot for their duties. They are able to attend meetings without worrying about altering their schedules or navigating deadlines such as travel costs and quarantine periods.
There are a number of factors that you should consider in order to maximize the effectiveness of an online board. Before the meeting starts the meeting’s leader must ensure that everyone is equipped with the right equipment and software. This includes ensuring that the screen and microphone are working correctly. It is a good idea to also have a staff member available to assist attendees. They can assist with login issues, give technical support during the meeting and also monitor the chat box for questions.
The chair of the board needs to set the tone of an online meeting, by establishing the ground rules for the discussion. For instance, they can invite participants to raise their virtual hands when speaking in order to avoid multiple people talking at once. They can also advise participants to turn off the microphone in case they don’t want to be heard or are not actively engaged in the discussion. They can also ask speakers to introduce themselves before speaking in order to avoid confusion.
It is also essential to provide an agenda that is written so that everyone knows what topics will be discussed during the meeting and where it is going. It’s also a good idea to communicate the agenda to participants in advance so that they can prepare questions and responses.