Challenges and Benefits of Virtual Board Meetings

Despite the current epidemic board members of nonprofit organizations still need to meet regularly and take decisions. Virtual meetings are a convenient solution that can increase the productivity and engagement of board members. These online meetings are not without problems. Some board members may not be comfortable using new technology, while others may not have technological proficiency.

Virtual meetings can cause an absence of motivation and focus, especially when meetings are long. Participants suffer from “zoom fatigue” and can easily become distracted by other things on https://boardroomtx.com/benefits-of-virtual-board-meetings/ their screens. To prevent this, it’s important to keep the meeting short. Make sure the agenda is clearly communicated and encourage attendees to speak up during the meeting. You can also use polls and questions to keep the attention of the audience.

Another issue with virtual board meetings is the inability of observing the body language of facial expressions or gestures. This can affect the participation of board members and the effectiveness of the meeting. To prevent this from happening board members should be encouraged to use video during meetings to ensure they can accurately discern the non-verbal signals of their colleagues.

Other challenges include the difficulty of recording and disseminating board meeting minutes. It is vital to document the entire meeting, in the event that any members are not able to attend. This also allows future boards to look back on their past decisions and learn the reasoning behind a particular decision. It is recommended to utilize a board management tool that provides a central archive of all meeting materials including historical and current.