How to Open a Board Meeting

If your board is made up of elected members, or if it is a non-profit or similar public organization, there may be laws in place that require an open meeting. These laws are often referred to as Sunshine Laws or Open Meetings Acts and they require the business of the board be conducted in a public setting. The laws also give non-members the ability to attend and, in some instances to make comments.

The member who presided over the last meeting will “call the meeting into order” when the board is in order. This is typically done by saying “I call this meeting to order” or something similar with the use of a loud voice. This is usually followed by two taps of the givenl, which signifies that the meeting has officially begun.

Make sure that you have a clear http://electronicboardportal.net/ensure-regulatory-compliance-reporting-efficiency-with-top-board-reporting-software agenda prior to when the meeting begins. The agenda should be clear and concise that outlines the main issues and decisions that the board needs to make. Do not put too many items on the agenda or using an agenda from an earlier meeting.

Interrupting your board with new topics of discussion can take up valuable time and distract your attendees from the tasks on your agenda. Consider adding a parking space to the end of your agenda, where you can relegate topics which aren’t of high importance and promise to revisit them later or add them to the next meeting.

Request feedback from your board on how the meetings went and what you can do to improve them. This will make your board members more involved in the process and more engaged.