Hybrid Board Meetings

Despite a lot of board members’ desires to return to meetings in person the pandemic has made it necessary for the majority of us to continue to meet online. This hybrid approach will not go away and boards have to find an effective method of conducting meetings that accommodate both in-person and remote attendees.

To keep meetings productive, it’s essential that their explanation the chairman of the board adheres to the agenda. The chair must also provide clear guidelines. Digital tools can also help to speed up the process of meetings by making it easier for attendees to go through the agenda faster. It’s also crucial that attendees in person or remotely receive the same materials in advance. This includes the slides and documents used during the meeting as well as notes and other information distributed in advance.

Prioritizing engagement in hybrid meetings will ensure that all board members are on the same page. To achieve this, you must ensure that the virtual platform is operating correctly and that all necessary links have been clicked and downloaded prior to the start of the meeting. You can spot and fix any issues prior to the meeting by having a designated person from your staff join the meeting.

Similar to that you can muffle the microphone if you are not speaking will cut out background noises and echoes. This allows everyone to focus on the issue that is in front of them. It’s recommended to close extra tabs and to pause any music or videos prior to starting the meeting. Additionally, using a board management software that has accessibility features will make your meeting more accessible for people with vision, hearing or speech disabilities.