This template is perfect for organising your board meetings.
Notion – Board Meeting Agenda Template
Notion – Board Meeting Agenda Template
This template is perfect for organising your board meetings. Board members often serve on the board in addition to working full-time jobs. So any extra time spent organizing a board meeting, coordinating through email, or rooting through spreadsheets impacts the time the board has to discuss important issues. With our board meeting agenda template, you can plan more effective meetings and make action items clear. Help your board of directors save time and get organized, so they can do the work that really matters with the resources they already have.
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What you need before purchase
- Basic knowledge of how to use Notion
- Paid Notion account if you’ve looking to add lots of content to your template / Notion account (sign up here). Not much content? You’re able to use their free account.
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After purchase
After purchase you’ll be able to view the template immediately. The template can added to your Notion account by:
- Click on the template download link in Gumroad
- When viewing the Notion template, click on the “Duplicate” link in the top-right of your screen
- The template will now be available in your own Notion account
For ongoing use, the steps are:
- Login to Notion and select the template you want to view
- Click on the Duplicate link in the top-right of your screen to create a copy to use
- You’ll be able to retain the Notion template and work on the Duplicate (with a new name) and can repeat this process whenever you want to use the template again
How to Run a Board Meeting, Step-by-Step Guide
The following is a step-by-step guide on how to run a board meeting:
- Set the stage for the meeting by giving an overview of what you want to cover and why it’s important.
- Give your audience some background information about yourself, your company, and your products or services.
- Ask questions that will help get people involved in the discussion.
- Make sure everyone understands the agenda before the meeting starts.
- Have each person introduce themselves at the beginning of the meeting.
- Keep the meeting moving forward with action items.
- End the meeting with a summary of the key points discussed during the meeting.
- Follow up with any remaining issues after the meeting has ended.
- Review the minutes from the previous meeting.
- Send out reminders to those who didn’t attend the last meeting.
- Schedule future meetings based on feedback received.
- Thank everyone for attending.
In this article, I go over the basic steps for running a successful board meeting. This includes setting the stage, introducing yourself, getting people involved, asking good questions, keeping the meeting moving, summarizing the main topics discussed, and closing the meeting.
Setting The Stage For A Successful Board Meeting
Before we start our board meeting, let’s take a minute to set the stage for success. In order to have a productive meeting, everyone needs to be clear about what they are going to discuss and why it matters. It should also be made very clear when the meeting ends so there aren’t any surprises later on.
Here are some things to consider when preparing for your first board meeting:
- What topic(s) should be covered?
- Who should present the topic?
- When does the meeting need to end?
- What time should the meeting begin?
- Should the meeting be held in person or via conference call?
- If the meeting is being held in person, where will it be held?
- Will anyone else be joining us?
- Do we need to send out reminder emails?
- Is there anything else we need to think about?
Introducing Yourself
When someone walks into a room full of strangers, they usually feel nervous and self conscious. However, if you can make them feel comfortable right away then they’ll be more likely to open up and share their ideas. To do this, simply introduce yourself and tell them why you’re presenting the topic. You might say something like, “I’m here today because I’ve been asked to give my thoughts on…”
If you don’t know much about the subject matter, ask questions until you find out enough to make a good presentation.
If you are presenting the same topic as another member of the board, you could say something like, “This is the second time I’ve presented this topic, but since the other members haven’t heard it yet, I thought I’d give them an update.”
Getting People Involved
Once you’ve introduced yourself, it’s important to get people talking. Start by asking questions that will help get the conversation flowing. Here are some examples of great questions to ask:
“What are some challenges you face?”
“What would you like to see happen next?”
“Why did you decide to become part of this organization?”
“What would make this organization better?”
“What would make this organization stronger?”
The purpose of these questions isn’t to gather information, but rather to encourage others to talk about themselves and their experiences. By doing this, you’ll learn more about each individual and how they perceive the organization.
Asking Questions
Now that you’ve gotten people talking, it’s time to start asking questions. Ask questions that will allow everyone to contribute their ideas and opinions. Some questions you could use include:
“Can you describe a situation where you had to deal with…”
“Do you agree with the idea that…”
“Is there anything you disagree with?”
“What would it take to make this work?”
“Who has experience working with…?”
“What are the benefits of…”
“What are the drawbacks of…”
“What is one thing you wish we were doing differently?”
“What is one way we could improve…”
“Are there any other ways we could improve…”
It’s also helpful to ask questions that will elicit specific answers. For example, if you want to hear what people think about a particular issue, try asking, “What are your thoughts on…”
Avoiding Groupthink
Groupthink occurs when individuals tend to conform to the views of the group without considering alternative viewpoints. This makes it difficult for the group to come up with creative solutions. It’s easy to fall victim to groupthink when discussing sensitive topics such as finances, politics, religion, etc. If you notice that the discussion seems to be going in only one direction, stop and ask for feedback from those who aren’t involved in the decision making process.
You may also need to step in and remind the group that it’s not always necessary to follow the majority opinion. Sometimes, even though the majority thinks one way, the minority may have a different perspective that could lead to a better solution.
Another way to avoid falling prey to groupthink is to keep the discussion focused on facts. Don’t let emotions or personal feelings cloud the issue. Facts can often provide a clearer picture than emotional arguments.
Keeping Everyone Engaged
One way to ensure that everyone stays engaged during a meeting is to keep things moving along at a brisk pace. People usually feel most comfortable participating in conversations when they’re able to express their opinions. However, if you don’t give them enough time to speak, they may lose interest. To prevent this from happening, set ground rules ahead of time so everyone knows how long they have to speak. Also, consider setting aside some time at the beginning of the meeting to allow all participants an opportunity to introduce themselves.
If you find yourself getting bogged down by too many comments, try summarizing the points made by each person. You might say something like, “I’d like to summarize the main points made today.” Then, briefly discuss the key issues raised by each person.
If someone starts speaking over another participant, politely interrupt him or her and tell him or her to wait until his or her turn comes around. Be sure to apologize for cutting off the speaker.
