Despite the current epidemic the nonprofit boards have to meet regularly and take decisions. Virtual meetings can be a useful solution that improves the productivity and engagement of board members. However, these online meetings have their own set of issues. Some board members might not be comfortable with the latest technology and others may https://boardroomtx.com/benefits-of-virtual-board-meetings/ lack technological skills.
Virtual meetings can also result in a lack in motivation and focus, particularly during long meetings. Attendees may develop “zoom fatigue” or be easily distracted by other things on their screens. It is important to keep meetings brief in order to avoid this. It is important to ensure that the agenda is clearly communicated and encourage participants to speak up throughout the meeting. It is also helpful to utilize polls and questions to keep the attention of attendees.
The inability to see body language or facial expressions is another challenge of virtual board meetings. This can affect the level of engagement among board members as well as the effectiveness of the meeting. To prevent this from happening board members should be encouraged to watch video during the meeting to ensure they can pick up on non-verbal signals coming from their peers.
Other challenges include the challenge in recording and distributing minutes of board meetings. It is important to record the entire meeting in the event that any members are not able to attend. This also allows future boards to look back on previous decisions and comprehend the reasoning behind a specific decision. The best way to avoid these problems is to utilize an application for managing boards that can provide a central archive of all meeting materials including historical and current.
