The agenda for a board meeting is among the most important elements for successful board meetings. A well-crafted agenda will help to focus the discussion, cut down on time spent on topics that are not critical to the discussion and ensure that everyone on the board is capable of addressing the issues in front of them.
The executive team should make a decision on a few key strategic areas prior to the board meeting. This will allow them to avoid a boardroom runaway train, and instead keep the discussion effective and meaningful.
Once the board meeting agenda is set, the board admin will distribute it to all directors, making sure that they have the chance to review the agenda prior to the meeting. This gives them the chance to highlight important points and plan questions ahead of time. Additionally directors get a chance to submit any reports that have to be submitted or reviewed.
The general counsel or a designated representative, should also review any materials that management has prepared to ensure consistency and check for typos. They should also look for a section the names of attendees and draft resolution language to be used for decisions that need to be taken.
In the final instance, the chair should contact any directors or committee chairs that have been assigned action items from prior meetings to ensure that they are in the right direction. This is a great method http://boardroomsystems.net/board-meeting-checklist to keep track of any progress and provide a timely status update.