The agenda for board meetings is one of the most important components to a successful board gathering. A well-planned agenda can assist in focusing the discussion, limit time spent on non-critical topics and ensure that all board members are fully ready to discuss the issues at hand.
The executive team should decide on a few important strategic issues prior to the board meeting. This will help avoid a runaway boardroom train and instead keep the discussion productive and meaningful.
Once the board meeting agenda is set the board administrator should distribute it to all directors, making sure that they have the opportunity to read the agenda prior to the meeting. This allows them the opportunity to highlight key points and prepare questions ahead of time. Directors also have the opportunity to submit or review any reports they need to.
The general counsel or designee should also read through any management prepared board materials for any consistency and mistakes. They should also search for a section the names of attendees and draft resolution language for the decisions that must be taken.
The chair should also be in touch with the chairpersons or directors of committees that have been assigned action items from prior meetings to ensure they are still on track. This is an excellent way to keep up-to-date with any progress and give a timely update.