In-person meetings permit more natural conversation and nonverbal cues, which are not feasible in a virtual space. With some effort and planning nonprofits can continue to maintain a productive meeting dynamic when moving to a digital format.
Virtual board meetings can be as effective as in-person meetings by following best practices. To ensure that your meetings are productive and fun be sure to consider the following guidelines:
Comprehensive Preparation
Virtual meetings require a more thorough preparation process than in-person meetings. Before the meeting, directors should receive a detailed agenda with clearly defined topics for discussion as well as the time limit for each. This allows them to look up any necessary information and to prepare questions or ideas prior to the meeting.
Share meeting materials early
It’s easy for people to lose their focus during a virtual meeting, especially when you’re able check your email or social media. Make it a point to send out all the essential meeting materials, information and documents at the very least one week prior to the session. This will stop participants from getting bored during meetings and give them more time to take part in discussions and take decisions.
Use a virtual board management software platform, like OnBoard to provide your board members with access to all the necessary materials and resources in advance of the meeting. By doing this you can avoid typical distractions of connectivity issues and technical issues that can derail or delay meetings. To avoid issues like this you should have your board management software company check all the connections and equipment for every participant prior to the start of the meeting.
