An organized agenda is the foundation of every boardroom meeting. It will help you to determine how involved your board members are during the meeting, list everything you’re planning to cover, and help you get started in creating a comprehensive agenda that will memorialize your decision.
The agenda of your board meeting should contain an area dedicated to reporting. Department chairs and committee chairpersons can inform the board about important information. Depending on the needs of your organization it could be reports from the committees and departments that are important to you such as the finance director, executive director or the nominating committee.
Your next item should be “new business”. This is the time when you and your colleagues will discuss new ideas that have been brought up during your previous meeting, and how you can best advance. This is a great opportunity for discussion and debate, so make sure to reserve ample time for discussion. Most of the time, your board will decide to adjust or table, or even give an agenda item to another committee to deal with.
In the new section of business it is also commonplace to include space for special announcements and congratulations. This is a chance to express your gratitude for the board and the work they have done.
