When conducting a remote board meetings, it’s essential to have a solid structure that keeps the discussion productive and on the right track. It’s easier to keep the he has a good point discussion on track when the participants have an organized agenda. It is also helpful to email the agenda and any documents associated with it to the attendees through the secure board portal prior to the meeting so that they can make notes, add items to the agenda and review it before the meeting starts.

Distractions should be minimized to ensure an efficient remote board meeting. Ideally, participants should join the call from a quiet office or home space that isn’t filled with numerous distracting sounds. This reduces the likelihood that they’ll tune out and miss important details being discussed during the meeting.

It’s also a good idea to ask participants to turn off their microphones if they’re not speaking, in order to reduce distracting background noise. The person who is designated to take minutes should be sure to note all motions in full, as well as who initiated the motion and who supported it. This is essential to maintaining an accurate record of the meeting which can be used for references or for legal reasons years afterward.

It’s also important to adhere to the time limits that you set for each item on the agenda to avoid the meeting dragging unnecessarily. You can facilitate a smooth meeting by encouraging attendees to place ad-hoc issues in a parking spot so that they don’t interrupt the main discussion.