Citizens are always scrutinising local authorities to ensure they are offering the best possible value for money. This is similar to the way that shareholders demand the companies they invest in are run in a lean manner. The public want to know that the bodies who set and receive their taxes achieve efficiency in all areas from road maintenance to how they run local government council meetings. In the UK, the Local Government Association found that only 48% of residents felt that their local council provided value for money. And with local and regional authorities making up a significant proportion […]
6 Steps To Make Your Online City Council Meetings More Effective
One of the unexpected outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic was how it revolutionised the way in which we communicate. And one of the areas in which this was felt most deeply was in the world of online city council meetings. Whereas many municipalities once held their meetings in physical form only, often with very few members of the public in attendance, social distancing restrictions meant that the only way to pass important legislation was to do so online. This also made attending council meetings more accessible for the public. Some governments enacted emergency laws to allow online council meetings where […]
Zero mail — How to win the battle for your inbox
An empty, tidy and well-arranged mailbox. Who doesn't want that? Zero Mail or Inbox Zero is a term you hear a lot: no email. Zero Mail gives you a clear view of your inbox. But it goes further than that: it's about setting priorities. Merlin Mann, the creator of this method, originally saw the inbox zero technique as a "step-by-step solution for email management". In the United States, Merlin Mann is recognised as a productivity guru. His area of expertise is email management and personal effectiveness. Focus is also a term that comes up often: concentrating completely and not working […]
Overcoming a meeting slump: how to stay focused during board meetings
Board members often experience loss of focus during meetings, which can affect decision-making, productivity and creative thinking. Three aspects that are generally vital during board meetings. Studies have shown that board members do not maintain constant levels of attention during meetings. A meeting slump is very common among board members. As a board member or Executive Director, you can play a key role in keeping the board engaged and focused on what’s important. But only if you maintain focus throughout the meetings yourself. This article provides board members and executives with some tips and tricks on how to stay focused during meetings […]
Make short shrift with old meeting rules!
Has your employer already fully embraced ‘The New Way of Working’? In organisations that have adopted the New Way of Working really seriously, you work when and where you want. It might be from your home office, from the office of a client or in a café, early in the morning or late at night – it really doesn’t matter. There are no problems as long as employees deliver their work as agreed. The result is that increasingly more offices are being laid out with a maximum number of fixed workstations. The rest of them are flexible workstations. New Meeting […]
Webinar - A showcase of the iBabs board portal
We’re inviting you to a special webinar to show you exactly how the iBabs board portal works. Presenter Richard Sealey will walk through the special features, as well as talk about a very practical approach to implement a digital board portal. You'll learn more about: P.S.: If you’re not entirely happy with your current solution, or you’re just starting the journey of going paperless, then I’d wholeheartedly recommend attending this webinar. This webinar will be presented by: Richard Sealey, UK Ireland & Nordics Sales Manager at iBabs Board Portal Solutions This is an online event. No software installation is required […]
How board secretaries can create an effective agenda for board meetings
An agenda is the backbone of any board meeting. It sets the tone, helps prevent board members from getting distracted or off-track and contributes to an effective board meeting. At least, that’s if you have a great board meeting agenda. But a lot of board meetings take place with a not so great agenda. The result? Long meetings, that often go off-track and are nothing close to productive. As a board secretary, you have the responsibility to create an agenda for your board’s meetings that facilitates efficiency. This guide is here to help you. 1: Make the objective clear Every […]
4 trends in municipal meetings
2017 is an important year for Dutch municipalities. After all, it was agreed in the coalition agreement that companies and citizens should be able to handle all of their official matters digitally by this year at the latest. This means digitizing lot of work processes. But digitization is also penetrating the meeting room, which is no less than logical. Why should we continue to hold meetings in the old-fashioned way when the municipal organisation is changing as a whole? The following trends show that although municipal meetings will continue to exist, they will inevitably change in terms of form. Trend […]