Avoid These Mistakes When Designing Your Board Meeting Agenda

An agenda that is well-designed for board meetings is a must-have tool for efficient meetings. An agenda that is well-designed does not guarantee productive meetings or decisions. To get the desired results the board’s leaders should be aware of common mistakes that undermine the effectiveness of meetings and take action to avoid them.

Too many issues on the agenda can lead to rushed discussions and not enough time to discuss each item. Prioritize items according to the urgency and importance. You can also consider postponing certain topics to future meetings of the board or committee to allow for more detailed discussion.

Give specific time limits to each agenda item. This will ensure that your board remains on the right track and all issues are taken into consideration. Be realistic with your estimations of time and examine your past experience of meetings that ran on time to determine what is feasible in one meeting.

It is recommended to share the agenda for board meetings a few days, or at least 24 hours, before the meeting. This allows board members to read relevant documents in preparation for the meeting. Some organizations provide an entry form to verify the attendance.

Clarify how decisions will be made on each item on the agenda, such as using consensus or voting. This will help reduce confusion and miscommunication during the discussion. If a topic is controversial or a hot button issue be sure to state that the board will vote unanimously instead of having split votes.

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