3 ways to plan more effective board meetings

Upcoming decisions and management supervision form the core of the plan but performance should also be included, he says.

Upcoming decisions and management supervision form the core of the plan but performance should also be included, he says.

1. Plan decisions in advance

 "We usually know in advance most of the decisions that will need to be made for the next year. They could include decisions on matters such as partnerships, merger opportunities or government funding. Adding those to the plan helps directors to consider what might be good outcomes for those decisions."

2. Consider what needs monitoring

"A plan should also include the key activities the board wants to focus on during the year such as a new program or a service being provided to a new region or different beneficiaries. So the plan could allocate time for some extra briefings, a site visit or engagement with key stakeholders."

3. Think about what can be done better

"Then, of course, there should be a list of all the things the board wants to do to lift its own performance."

Having completed the planning exercise, the number and frequency of board meetings may need to be adjusted, suggests Donovan.

"We’re often locked into the history of how meetings have always been run in the organisation: for example, monthly for two hours on a certain night of the week at a certain time of the month," he says.

"But the board meeting should be driven by the plan, not the other way around."