The Challenges of Online Board Meetings

Board meetings http://www.boardmgmt.net/ways-of-increasing-productivity-and-decreasing-administrative-burden-for-a-manager/ online remove one of the biggest obstacles to attendance and participation time. Meetings are shorter which means that board members are able to attend more meetings. This in turn increases attendance and lowers the chance of missing key decisions. However, it’s important to understand that managing an online board meeting isn’t without issues.

In-person meetings allow participants to read bodylanguage and facial expressions. This can be a challenge to read in a conversation that is virtual. It’s also a challenge to keep remote board members active. Board members may be reluctant to speak up when they are concerned that their input will not be heard. And even when they do speak up however, their voice could be drowned out by other members or background noise.

Inconsistent audio quality and incompatible software are also a challenge for online board meetings. It’s essential to select an online video conferencing system that’s secure, accessible, simple to use and packed with features that can benefit your business. It’s a good idea have your board members test out the platform before the online board meeting to avoid technical issues.

Another challenge is keeping the discussion on the right track. Limiting the duration of discussion topics can aid in this. It is recommended that you define a time limit as well as a goal for every item. You could, for instance, assign a member as the leader of each item on the agenda, or set a time limit for each item. The aim should be to reach a decision or generate ideas before moving on to the next item.