How to Conduct an Online Board Meeting

Virtual board meetings are now a regular part of many companies’ board member and director engagement. While remote work used to be considered a temporary measure to help companies deal with the COVID-19 epidemic, it is now a feature incorporated into the directors and board members’ engagement. It can take a while for boards to become https://justboardroom.com/board-meeting-preparation-checklist/ comfortable and productive in virtual environments.

The most obvious issue is that it’s difficult to create the same sense of camaraderie and interaction in a virtual gathering as a real-life one. By adding interactive elements to meetings such as breakout sessions, a game or even a poll could be helpful in breaking lengthy presentations and encouraging more participation. Another issue is that those who are not used to using video conference or teleconferencing platforms might be intimidated by being online. This can lead to lower engagement levels than usual.

It’s important to ensure that the technology platform chosen for an online board meeting is user-friendly and accessible to everyone. Before the meeting, it could also be beneficial to conduct a tech review to ensure that all attendees have the right equipment and can take part without issues. Limiting the length of online meetings could aid in preventing screen fatigue. People may be uncomfortable when they are staring at a computer screen for too long. The inclusion of a brief agenda with estimates of time limits for each item will help in the pace of the call and support the chair in directing the meeting.