Boards have witnessed an array of changes over the past few years as they have to adjust to the changing environment. Board directors are discovering ways to communicate and perform their oversight responsibilities despite the rapid pace of regulatory changes as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical turmoil.

Making a compelling agenda is a critical component to ensuring that board meetings are productive and efficient. The right mix of management topics and strategic americanboardroom.com presentations can assist your board in achieving its goals, while allowing you to stay clear of time-wasting distractions.

A dynamic agenda for the board begins with the most important items, enabling your team members to go to work quickly and stay focused. It also includes a parking item to push off-topic discussion topics that need to wait until the next meeting.

When preparing for your board meetings, make sure you provide brief executive summaries instead of lengthy descriptions. This will allow directors to focus their attention on the questions that are essential for an effective debate. It is possible to include additional information to help your board better know the issues. This could include market data (such as retention or acquisition rates) as well as financial data, key performance indicators or milestones for product development.

Avoid discussing sensitive legal issues in board meetings when the general counsel isn’t present. Be aware of preserving attorney-client privilege which shields the company from discovery in the event of a lawsuit against a board member of the board.