Challenges and Benefits of Virtual Board Meetings

Despite the current epidemic, nonprofit boards are required to meet regularly to decide. Virtual meetings are a convenient solution to increase the efficiency and participation of board members. These meetings online are not without difficulties. Some board members may not be comfortable with the latest technology, while others have a limited understanding of technology.

Virtual meetings can also cause a lack in motivation and focus, especially during long meetings. Attendees suffer from “zoom fatigue” and are easily distracted by other activities on their screen. To prevent this, it is important to keep the meeting brief. Make sure that you clearly announce the agenda and encourage the participants to take part in the discussion. It is also helpful to use polls and questions to maintain attention.

Another issue that can arise from virtual board meetings is the inability to discern body language or facial expressions. This can hinder the participation of board members and reduce the effectiveness of the meeting. To counter this board members must be encouraged to watch video during the meeting so that they can accurately discern non-verbal signals from their peers.

Other issues include the difficulties of recording and distributing board meeting minutes. Recording the entire meeting is crucial in the event that a member of the board is unable to attend. This allows future boards to go over previous decisions and gain a better understanding of the reasons of a particular decision. The best way to avoid these problems is to use an application for managing boards which provides a central archive of all materials for meetings as well as historical materials.

read post https://boardroomtx.com/