A Board Meeting successful board meeting is an essential element of the puzzle that determines your company’s success. Many companies fall into the “if it’s not broken, don’t change it” trap when it pertains to board meetings. That can lead to stale meetings that aren’t productive and don’t yield results for the company. This article will offer tips on how to run a productive and engaging board meeting that will benefit your business.

Set the tone for the beginning and at the end of your board meeting. A solid start and a strong close can set the tone for the remainder of the meeting, thereby creating cohesion among the board members. Additionally meeting the board in a different place (a meeting site or restaurant, for example) will instantly stimulate discussions.

Limit the number of major topics to be discussed at a time. This will help keep the meeting focused around the most important topics for business.

Use a polling application or survey to determine the efficiency of a gathering. You’ll be in a position to identify who is taking up too long and who isn’t talking enough. Knowing who is talking too much can help you gently redirect the conversation at the appropriate time.

Allow for discussion of topics not on the agenda but make sure to follow-up. This will enable your board members to be engaged and ensure that the main objectives of the meeting do not get diluted by unnecessary tangents.