Despite the current pandemic, nonprofit boards still have to meet regularly to take decisions. Virtual meetings are a great solution to increase board member productivity and engagement. However, these meetings online are not without their issues. Some board members may not be comfortable with the latest technology, and others may not be proficient in technology.
Virtual meetings can cause an inability to motivate and concentration, particularly during long meetings. Participants experience “zoom fatigue” and can easily become distracted by other activities on their screens. It is important to keep meetings short in order to avoid this. Make sure that the agenda is clearly communicated, and encourage attendees to speak up during the meeting. It can also be helpful to utilize polls and questions to keep the attention of attendees.
Another issue with virtual board meetings is the inability to see body language or facial expressions. This can impact the participation of board members and the effectiveness of the meeting. To prevent this from happening, board members should be encouraged to watch video during the meeting so they can pick up on non-verbal signals that their peers are sending to them.
Other issues include the difficulties in recording and distributing minutes of board meetings. It is essential to document the entire meeting, in the event that board members are in a position to miss. This also allows future boards to review previous decisions and understand the reasoning behind a particular decision. The best way to stay clear of these issues is to utilize a board management software which provides a central archive of all meeting materials that are both historical and current.
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