Energize Your Board Meetings

Published on April 6, 2017 |

Nothing bogs down a boardroom like stale agenda items and tired statistics. Learn how to inspire your board with meetings designed to inspire lively discussion and increase productivity. 

Regardless of the size or role of your governing board, better boardroom discussions can motivate members to work together as a team, positioning your company for long-term stability and growth. With a few adjustments to your meeting style, you can increase your board’s passion and sense of purpose. Here’s how:

Demonstrate Purpose

Depending on your company culture, consider using innovative ways to reiterate your vision, like showing a video of a positive outcome from a board initiative or inviting a guest to give a brief testimonial. Similarly, report data in terms of trends and progression by letting the data tell a story. Show (don’t tell) how the decisions made during previous discussions—and the steps taken since—have led
to the current picture. 

Re-imagine Agendas

Ditch the old agenda format and offer your board something to talk about. Use a fresh format and interesting topics to spark conversation. Send items that don’t require board discussion to be approved by consent agenda prior to the meeting and use the time together to discuss only the most critical issues.  

Co-design Meetings

Encourage input by allowing board members to submit topics of discussion several weeks before meeting. Identify areas of overlap and send final agenda items and documents to members at least three days before you meet so they can prepare their own comments. Once at the meeting, briefly explain how they helped design the agenda and tell them what needs to be accomplished together. They will appreciate having input and will be better equipped to engage in important discussions. 

Webster Bank offers a library of business insights to help inspire
your board’s discussions.

Punch It Up!

Want to encourage lively board discussions? Try asking one of these provocative questions: 

>How are we anticipating the unanticipated?

>What is our capacity to adjust to the changing climate?

>How is our biggest competitor planning to take our customer base?

>What are the elephants in the boardroom and how can we best address them? 

>What is the one concern that will become critical if not addressed?