How to Conduct an Online Board Meeting

Virtual board meetings are now a permanent part of many companies’ board member and director engagement. While remote working was initially thought to be considered an interim measure to help organizations through the COVID-19 outbreak, it is now a feature integrated into the directors and board members’ engagement. It can take a while for boards to become comfortable and productive in virtual environments.

It isn’t always easy to create a sense camaraderie or interaction in a virtual space as it is in a physical setting. The addition of interactive elements to meetings such as breakout sessions, a game or even a quick poll could be helpful in breaking long presentations and allowing more participation. Another difficulty is that interacting online can be intimidating for those not accustomed to communicating through video conference or teleconferencing platforms which can result in lower engagement levels than normal.

It is crucial to ensure that the technology platform selected for online board meetings is user-friendly, making it simple for everyone to use. It can be helpful to go through the technology prior to the meeting to ensure that everyone has the right equipment and is able to participate without any problems. Limiting the duration of online meetings may help to prevent screen fatigue. People may be uncomfortable when looking at a computer screen for too look what i found long. A brief agenda with estimates of time limits for each item could aid in the pace of the call and support the chair in directing the meeting.