The manner in which board meetings are run can have a significant impact on the quality of the webpage discussion and how effective they are. It is important to have clear expectations for the manner in which meetings are conducted and how they are conducted.

In general, board meetings shouldn’t be overrun by reading reports. Instead committee chairs should go over their reports prior to the time of the meeting and present them at the meeting. The board will then discuss each report and the information contained within it within the context of the company’s larger goals.

Board members need to be able to communicate openly and freely to have productive conversations. This means that board members must respect other members’ right to speak. Interrupting other board members, although there are exceptions, is generally thought to be unprofessional.

It is a common omission to bring the subject to discuss without a clear recommendation of what the board must be doing. This can cause the conversation to feel stale and long. Start with a general concept and let everyone weigh the pros and cons.

A board secretary or other experienced person take notes during the meeting could help ensure that important information is not lost. However, it is critical to communicate clearly how the board will reach its decisions, whether through consensus or voting–and who is responsible for the preparation of the minutes.