The preparation of your board meeting, whether you’re chairperson, CEO or executive director is essential to ensure it is running smoothly. It may seem counterintuitive, but a well-organized board book and agenda can help you reduce time spent on conversations.

Making sure to clearly identify the objectives of each item on the board will also make it easier for board members to understand the topic and how it is related to their overall contribution to company success. This is especially helpful for younger or less experienced board members, who may have difficulty understand complex discussions.

It’s also a good idea for each item in the board meeting to be given a rough time frame. This will help keep the meeting moving and prevent members of the board from clocking out prior to the time limit.

Check the day before the meeting to ensure that the venue is ready for the meeting and all catering arrangements are in place. Also, ensure directors who haven’t submitted check it out their annual reports are given a deadline to do so.

Prepare any information packets that will be distributed to the board members prior to the meeting, and also review any other meeting regulations. It is recommended to give these packets out 48 hours prior to the meeting to ensure that board members can take part in discussions that are informed during the meeting.