When conducting remote board meetings, it’s important to establish a proper structure to keep the discussion efficient and on track. This is easier when the participants have an agenda in place which guides them at all times. It is also beneficial to send the agenda along with any documents associated with it to the attendees through an encrypted board portal prior to the meeting so that they can take note of, add items, and review the agenda before the meeting begins.
Limiting distractions is another way to ensure an efficient remote board meeting. Ideally, attendees should take the call in a quiet home or office space that isn’t filled with lots of distracting noises. This will reduce the chance that they’ll be distracted and miss important details that are being discussed in the meeting.
Also, it’s a good idea to request participants to mute their microphones when not speaking to further decrease background noise that can distract during the meeting. The person who is designated to take minutes must note all motions in full, along with the person who made the move and who supported the motion. This is crucial for keeping the record in a clear manner that can be used as a reference or for legal purposes in the future.
It is also essential to adhere to the time limit you determine for each item on the agenda in order to avoid the meeting dragging unnecessarily. You can promote an efficient meeting by urging attendees to park ad hoc topics in a parking space to ensure they don’t distract from the main discussion.