How to Conduct an Online Board Meeting
Although remote working was thought of as a temporary measure to help organizations get through the COVID-19 epidemic, many companies are now embracing virtual board meetings as a permanent aspect of their director and board member engagement. It can take time for boards to get comfortable and productive in virtual environments.
The most obvious issue is that it’s difficult to create the same kind of camaraderie as well as interaction in a virtual gathering as in person. By adding interactive elements to meetings such as breakout sessions, quizzes or even a poll can help in breaking up long presentations and encouraging more participation. A second problem is that people who aren’t familiar with using teleconferencing or video conference platforms may be scared of being online. This could result in less engagement than in the past.
It is essential to select the right technology platform that is simple to use for online board meetings. It can be helpful to review the technology prior to the meeting to ensure everyone has the appropriate equipment and is able to participate without any problems. It is also beneficial to limit the duration of online meetings to prevent screen fatigue, as people may start to feel uncomfortable after looking at the computer screen for long. An agenda that is brief and with estimates of time limits for each item can help in the pace of the meeting and help the chair in controlling justboardroom.com the meeting.