Hybrid Board Meetings

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www.itsboardroom.com/selecting-and-developing-board-leadership-how-to-choose-the-right-leader/

As board members return to in-person meetings, hybrid board meetings are the new norm. This new system allows you to meet in person and remotely simultaneously to reduce costs while increasing accessibility. If your business decides to go with all-virtual meetings, in-person meetings with remote participants or both, it’s important to establish meeting norms and expectations to ensure that everyone feels valued. The best way to do this is to make sure the technology is optimally optimized by establishing clear guidelines for participation, and communicating with purpose.

Hybrid board meetings are not without their challenges, however. Certain board members may be unhappy about not being capable of interacting in the same room, or feel that their contributions are not as effective because they can’t provide face-toface the context of their peers’ comments. Experts in meeting management recommend taking proactive ways to facilitate collaboration, such as establishing virtual rooms for social interaction prior and during meetings and during breaks, and using tools such as the board portal to manage the work of your board.

The most frequent issue is the disparity in technical expertise among board members. Remote participants might not be able to attend the meeting, or their participation may be impeded by poor audio or video quality or the inability to connect to the internet. Training your board members on how to make use of the technology and ensuring they have access to dependable equipment prior to the meeting can help them deal with these issues effectively.