Hybrid Board Meetings

The pandemic forced many non-profit organizations to reconsider how they conduct board meetings. Instead of compromising the health and safety of staff and board members, some nonprofits turned to hybrid meeting formats that allow board leadership them to accommodate both in-person and remote attendees. Without specific preparations and the appropriate tools, hybrid board meetings can be a frustrating experience for everyone involved.

The best method to ensure a smooth and productive board meeting is to use an online collaboration tool like BoardPro that allows you to create efficient and detailed agendas. Having an agenda that sets clear objectives and time limits for discussions can help your board keep on track and achieve its goals within the time allotted. The program also has various features that make meetings more interactive and productive, such as private mode, anonymous voting and digital whiteboards.

A virtual voting system is another important feature for meetings that are blended. This feature can eliminate social and geographical barriers to increase diversity within your board, while making it easier for all attendees to be involved in decision-making. The BoardPro virtual voting feature lets you to quickly and accurately record votes online. It also offers an anonymous voting option so that sensitive decisions can be taken without compromising the integrity of the board.

It’s crucial to provide remote participants a video technology that is user-friendly and enhances the experience of a meeting. Some companies provide a self-focusing camera, like the Owl Labs’ self-focusing Meeting Owl which automatically will focus on the person speaking while showing everyone else onscreen. This makes the meeting more engaging and interesting even for those who aren’t physically present.