A well-written board meeting agenda ensures that discussions are productive and engaging with a clear and concise plan to tackle the organization’s most pressing issues. A well-written agenda will keep your participants active, whether you’re holding meetings in person or virtually.

A well-planned agenda starts with an unambiguous and concise call to order which signifies the beginning of the meeting or any related proceedings. This could include a brief explanation of the reason for your meeting and the name of the chairperson.

Your next agenda for your board meeting should include a brief report or presentation from the executive director or CEO on the current performance of the business and key initiatives. It is also beneficial to include a section for committee reports from the finance, governance and nominating committees, if necessary.

If your organization has guest presentations or open forum discussions, set aside time for these. You should also leave space for announcements or other recognition, such as congratulations, or announcements. You should also leave room for business-related issues that require follow-up or haven’t been discussed before.

The tendency to get distracted by new discussions is a frequent problem that can derail the pace of your meeting. Make sure you have parking spaces at the end of your agenda, where you can put forward ideas that imp source are new for discussion. It’s recommended to include an estimation of how long each item should take for discussion, as this will ensure that you don’t overrun the agenda for board meetings. If you’re unable to make a decision on an issue, you can transfer it to the next board meeting to keep the agenda on track.