Online board meetings offer better scheduling options. They cut down on the time and cost of travel, and remove the time constraints that come with hotels and flights. They also expand the diversity of board members and can help ward off groupthink. However, embracing the virtual world comes with its own set of challenges that could cause less than effective meetings.
Changing from in-person to virtual meetings requires a shift in the method boards communicate and function. Many of the components that facilitate communication during an in-person meeting such as the physical board book and digital presentations, as well sharing documents, must be recreated for an online board meeting. It can be challenging for board members to navigate the technology. The use of a simple board software program can help streamline the process, but additional training on the tool may be needed to ensure board member success.
Engaging and maximizing productivity is another challenge when conducting an online board meeting. Being distracted by new topics for discussion can consume time and distract from the most important issues on the agenda. The creation of an agenda that has 20 percent less items, and breaking discussions into 15 minute increments can aid in reducing this issue. In addition, establishing an ad-hoc discussion forum for new topics may be helpful.
It is also essential that distant participants can see the faces of people in the room. This can be accomplished by removing backgrounds or moving participants away from window lighting that could glare onto the screen and obscure images for other board members. In addition, avoiding distractions such cell phones or other gadgets could help improve the ability of the person to concentrate on the subject being discussed.
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