The remote board meeting is an important aspect of a nonprofit’s decision-making process. It permits a more thorough discussion of the strategic decisions that the organization will make in the short-term and over the long run and gives the members the chance to discuss any issues that they may have. However it can be a challenge to conduct a successful remote board meeting which produces results when you’re not in the same room with your colleagues.
It’s not uncommon for participants to get distracted during virtual meetings, particularly when they’re glued to their tablet or laptop screens instead of talking face-to-face with the other members of the board. It can be difficult to communicate nonverbal signals in a digital environment, which can lead to confusion or inconsistencies in decision-making.
You can ease the issue by sending reminders that include the meeting details, as well as the agenda, and urging attendees to run a technical check prior to the meeting to ensure they can speak clearly, hear and see clearly. It is possible to provide the option of a video explaining how to navigate the settings for hardware and software of the meeting platform.
Another strategy is to make your meetings as brief as possible, particularly in the case of a virtual board, to reduce the chance of “zoom fatigue” developing. This keeps your attendees entertained and allow them to focus on the task they’re expected to do, instead of worrying about how much is left to be done before the next meeting.