The chair of the board should state that the board will meet to discuss business. This simple statement confirms that the meeting is officially authorized and enables the board chair to begin discussing agenda items in a timely manner.
The chair of the board must confirm that there is a quorum prior to discussing any agenda item. This is accomplished by calling the names of everyone present and ensuring that the group has enough members for official business.
The constant re-inventing of topics for discussion can waste time and divert attention from more important things. Having a “parking lot” at the end of your agenda, where everyone agrees to put up random topics to discuss at a later date could reduce the risk. Be sure to keep your word to return to the parking lot to determine if the topic should be further studied, added to the agenda reporting efficiency with top board reporting software of the board or delegated.
After the board has established the quorum, and has begun to discuss the board should be able to hear any committee reports that were circulated prior to the meeting. The board should then debate the items and decide on how to proceed, which may involve voting on a motion or simply asking members to express their opinions on a particular issue. Make sure to record all discussions and actions in the minutes of the board. Using a program like Boardable’s Minutes Maker ensures that your board meeting minutes are well-organized, thorough and easily read by attendees as well as non-attendees.
