The role of a chairman in a board meeting is central in keeping discussions on track, productive, and on target with the strategic objectives of the organization. An effective chairman does not only keep the meeting on schedule but encourages openness in allowing all members to contribute to the deliberation. It requires an agenda prepared with great care, skills of time management, and engagement of participants by the leader in such a way as to keep the discussion on track. This article enumerates some best practices for chairmen in a bid to maximize the effectiveness of board meetings.
A well-structured board meeting ensures that all key topics are dealt with without unnecessary delays. First of all, before run a board meeting, one should be prepared about what all issues are to be prioritized and how much time should be devoted to each issue so that each issue gets the required attention and the entire meeting is conducted in a given constraint of time. Also, to give ample time to the board members so that they can be prepared during the meeting, it is better to send the agenda in advance along with any material that may be required during the meeting so that any background information can be explained by them beforehand.
Establish Clear Goals and Expectations
The chairman should take the lead to commence business by setting specific objectives. What are the key decisions to be made? What result can be anticipated at the end of the meeting? In establishing these expectations from the outset, the chairman provides the route map for discussion in helping members remain focused on the issues before them.
It is about creating a participatory culture where board members would feel encouraged to give their insights and views. The chairman has to intervene actively in the flow of conversations: he should make sure that not only all voices are heard but also that no single voice is monopolizing the discussion. There should be a balance of contributions so that informed decisions could be made.
Effective Time Management
Time management is one of the most overwhelming jobs when trying to run a successful meeting of the board of directors. It is the responsibility of the chairman to maintain the discussion pace without having the meeting get overtime. A very useful approach would be to assign specific time slots for each item on the agenda and employ a timekeeper to help manage the meeting’s pace.
If the discussions on a particular matter begin to get sidetracked or take too long, the chairman can interject graciously to keep the discussion on track or to suggest deferring action on the topic to a future meeting. In so doing, because the chairman keeps the agenda on track, he ensures that all relevant items are covered in an efficient manner.
Encourage Participation and Activity
One of the hallmarks of a successful board meeting is that everybody present gets to be involved in that meeting. The chairman should provide an opportunity whereby every member of the board will be involved and will be in a position to make free contributions of ideas and ask questions. Participation may be invited through outright solicitation or by using open-ended questions that foster discussion.
The chairman can also facilitate participation by assigning active leads on various discussion topics to some members in order to widen perspectives on an issue. This allows division of labor in addition to the active involvement of a board member in decision-making.
Leading with Confidence and Clarity
A chairman will have to integrate the highest leadership qualities with thorough preparation and attention to cooperation for a board meeting to be effectively conducted. Other basic modalities that ensure that board meetings are productive and successful include clearly defined objectives, time management, and participation. With these strategies adopted, discussions by the chairman can be made focused, decisions well-informed, and hence the board works with maximum efficiency.