Despite the current outbreak the nonprofit boards have to meet regularly and take decisions. Virtual meetings are a great solution that can boost the productivity of board members as well as their engagement. However, these meetings online aren’t without issues. Some board members might not be comfortable with new technology, and others may have limited technological proficiency.
Virtual meetings can also lead to lack of motivation and focus, particularly during long meetings. Attendees may develop “zoom fatigue” or be easily distracted by other activities on their screen. To prevent this, it’s essential to keep the meeting short. Make sure you clearly communicate the agenda and encourage the participants to speak during the meeting. It is also helpful to use polls and questions to maintain attention.
Another issue with virtual board meetings is the inability to discern body language or facial expressions. This can affect the participation of board members and reduce the effectiveness of the meeting. To prevent this from happening, board members should be encouraged to view video during the meeting to ensure that they can accurately detect non-verbal signals from their peers.
Other issues include the difficulty of recording and distributing board meeting minutes. It is important to record the entire meeting in case any board members are in a position to miss. This also allows future boards to go over previous decisions and understand the rationale behind a specific decision. The best way to avoid these issues is to utilize a board management software www.boardroomtx.com/how-to-run-board-meetings-in-times-of-crisis/ that can provide a central archive of all meeting materials including historical and current.
