Board meetings online remove one of the biggest obstacles to participation and attendance time. Meetings are shorter which means that board members are able to attend more meetings. This increases attendance and decreases the risk of missing important decisions. However, it’s crucial to be aware that the process of organising an online board meeting isn’t without its problems.
In-person meetings allow participants to read body expressions and facial expressions, which can be difficult to achieve in a virtual chat. It’s also harder to keep remote board members interested. For example, board members may feel uneasy speaking up in meetings if they don’t believe their voice will be heard. Even should they speak up it, their voice could be drowned out by other members or background noise.
Other issues that arise with online board meeting include poor audio quality and inconsistent video conferencing software. It’s essential to select the right video conferencing platform that is safe, accessible, user-friendly and packed with features to can benefit your business. It’s a good idea to have your board members test the platform prior the online board meeting to avoid any technical issues.
Another challenge is keeping the meeting on track and limiting the length of discussion items. It is recommended that you define a time limit as well as goals for each item. You can, for example designate a particular person as the leader of each item on the agenda or establish the time limit for each item. The goal should be to make a decision or come up with ideas prior to moving on to the next item.