Effective Board Meetings

5. Running the Meeting

5.1 The chairperson has the most influence on the meeting.

As chairperson, your role is to:

• Determine the final content of the agenda, in conjunction with the managing director.
• Brief non-execs (and others) in advance on any sensitive issues.
• Allocate time to agenda items according to their importance.
• Create open discussions by introducing each item in a balanced, positive way.
• Elicit the views of the quieter directors and prevent anyone dominating the discussion.
• Give your views on each issue after the others have given theirs.
• Summarise what has been decided, to check there are no misunderstandings.
• Be firm in allocating responsibilities and ensuring that they are carried out.
• Check at the next meeting that all decisions have been implemented.

5.2 A good location for the meeting is important.

• An off-site venue can help you focus more on strategic issues and less on operational ones.
• A good seating plan helps to draw everyone into the discussion.

5.3 The date of future meetings should be agreed in good time.

• Larger companies generally have monthly meetings.
• Smaller companies may find quarterly meetings more effective.The impact of board meetings becomes diluted if there are too many.
• For limited companies, one board meeting a year is the legal minimum.This meeting is used to sign off the annual accounts and to ratify any key decisions made by directors during the year.
• At times of rapid change, increase the number of meetings.
• Board members should receive monthly management accounts, even when there is no board meeting.