Stop Wasting Time on Ineffective “Bored” Meetings!

Stick to the facts please, fellow business consultants . . .  Ever wonder why you find yourself slightly restless during your company’s board meeting? Perhaps daydreaming about that comfy couch calling your name at home?From CPA firms to manufacturing companies to medical practices, one of the reasons your company’s board meetings often run too long or veer off topic is an unfocused agenda. As with any meeting, careful planning and an effective board agenda will help direct members to stay on topic:

• Create a Consent Agenda: When all reports are routed into one agenda item, you can vote on it as one action item, rather than filing multiple actions on each item separately. Items typically listed in a consent agenda include prior financial reports and the executive director/chief executive officer’s report.
• Reserve Times for Agenda Items: Providing reserved times for each agenda item allows discussion on critical items, concerns and decision-making. If the board spends too much time listening to reports rather than engaging in active discussion and debating critical issues, the result leads to an ineffective meeting.
• Seek Input from Board Members: To keep the group engaged, make certain you request topic suggestions from members, along with a reason why each item needs to be addressed during the meeting.
• Identify Responsibility: Each agenda item should identify the individual responsible to ensure he or she takes accountability and prepares to lead the discussion point at the meeting.
• Focus Agenda Items on Decision Points, not Updates: Instead of simply focusing on updates regarding previous minutes, past performance issues, committee reports, etc., include a category for “Updates” in the consent agenda, and focus the main agenda items on forward-thinking strategies such as action plans, investment proposals, financial forecasting and a current review of your competitive market.

Since board meetings cover many topics, from reviewing previous meetings and progress of assignments, to committee reports and round table discussions, it’s easy to get off track. With careful planning, your meeting will gain necessary direction to ensure important items get addressed adequately and . . .    improve the odds that no members dream of their comfy couches!If you need a proven accounting firm to assist with your small business, tax preparation or financial planning, the CPA team at Patrick & Raines holds decades of experience serving the small business community. Let us know if we can help: Office@CPAsite.com or 904 396-5400.