Online board meetings offer better scheduling options, removing time constraints from travel and cost constraints from flights and hotels. They also boost the diversity of board members and help to prevent groupthink. However, the digital world has its own challenges that may result in less-than-effective meetings.
The transition from in-person to online meetings requires a shift in the way boards communicate and operate. Many of the components that facilitate communication during an in-person meeting, such as a physical board book, digital presentations and sharing documents, need to be recreated for a board meeting that is online. It can be a challenge for board members to navigate technology. The use of a basic board software program helps to streamline the process, however additional training on the tool may be needed for board members to be successful.
Maintaining a high level of engagement and productivity is another problem when conducting an online board meeting. Sidetracked by new topics of discussion can take up time and divert your attention from the most important agenda items. This can be minimized by creating an agenda that contains 20 percent fewer items, and breaking the discussion into 15-minute segments. In addition, offering an ad-hoc discussion forum for new topics could be beneficial.
It is also important for remote participants to be able to be able to see the faces of in-room attendees. This can be accomplished by avoiding the use of backgrounds or moving the participants away from windows which can glare onto the screen and obscure the image of other board members. Eliminating distractions like cellphones and other devices will also aid in focusing the participants on the discussion.
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