The agenda of a board meeting is among the most essential elements of successful board meetings. A well-crafted agenda will assist in focusing the discussion, reduce time spent on topics that are not critical to the discussion and ensure that all board members are fully equipped to address the issues at hand.
Before the board meeting the executive team must focus on a few strategic topics they wish to take out of the session. This will prevent the possibility of a boardroom train that is sped up and make the discussion productive and relevant.
After the agenda for board meetings is approved the board admin should distribute it to all directors, making sure that they are able to read the agenda in advance of the meeting. This allows them to highlight key points and prepare any questions they might have ahead of time. Additionally directors get the opportunity to submit any reports that must be reviewed or submitted.
The general counsel or designee must also go through any management prepared board materials, to check for consistency and mistakes. They should also look for a section for the names of attendees and draft resolution language for decisions that will need to be taken.
The chair should also contact committee chairs or directors who have been given action items from previous meetings to make sure they are on the right track. This is a great way to stay informed of any developments and give a timely update.