Board Meetings - Blog

Local government is at the heart of the community, and councillors hold the power to make decisions that affect their constituents’ day-to-day lives immeasurably. As such, it is essential that councils run meetings as effectively and efficiently as possible. To help you streamline your meeting process, this article provides a local government meeting agenda template to show you examples of the best practices that will help facilitate better decision-making. As British MP Wes Streeting said: “On housing, education and skills, health and social care, transport and economic development, local government is better placed to make decisions in the interests of […]

The experience of sitting on a board has changed over the last few years. Many companies had only ever held in-person board meetings before the spring of 2020, but that changed quickly through necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic saw social distancing measures set in place around the world, resulting in more and more online decision-making. Having enjoyed the benefits and flexibility of being able to hold fully virtual or hybrid board meetings, a large number of boards will continue to employ these formats in the future.  But with board meetings being so integral to the success of the company, it is […]

The Chartered Governance Institute says it is “essential that boards conduct their meetings with a view to optimising the use of the time and intellectual capital of their members.” Due to the expertise required for a person to serve on a board, there are high expectations of how they behave in a board meeting setting. This is why a board meeting protocol tends to be based more in tradition and formality than similar documents for other types of meetings. This formality is borne out of respect for the other members of the board. They are all members of the board […]

Board members are often the most experienced and savvy members of any business. They help push the business forward and make critical decisions. As directors, they also have legal obligations and fiduciary duties to act in the best interests of the company.  They naturally have busy schedules and take time out to support your organisation. In turn, it’s expected that you’ll maximise their use of time and expertise. They may have professional and/or personal obligations and schedules that it’s important to abide by. So, instead of organising meetings at arbitrary times and taking up to a whole day (including travelling […]

If you’re not entirely sure what board papers are, let’s start there. Board papers outline key information on the discussion points, decisions and actions required for a board meeting and are usually a few pages in length. This is not to be confused with board minutes, which are different. Generally speaking, guidelines for a board paper include: Board papers are a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to governance, giving the key decision-makers the information they need and keeping board meetings as structured and effective as possible. Without being part of the day-to-day running of a business, the […]

If and when the time comes to take executive session minutes, they must be treated separately from the minutes of the main meeting before or after which the executive session occurs. This is a type of confidential meeting that doesn't tend to involve ‘outsiders’. In this case, outsiders are considered those that aren’t members of the board, such as staff or advisors, but this can vary. However, unless explicitly stated, minutes should still be taken to keep a record of the session. Let’s take a look at what the process is in this scenario and how executive session minutes differ […]

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. Mark Twain, writer If we could name just one way to evolve your corporate governance, it would be continuous improvement. A strong board that is always looking for ways to finesse its operations can help to instil healthy workplace culture and environment from the top down.  With this in mind, let’s look at the ten steps your board can take to improve its corporate governance.  1. Look Beyond Compliance Compliance is a major consideration for the board. They should ensure the organisation conforms to the local legislation, rules, codes of practice and the […]