A video conference lets remote board members to view each other, even with different types of devices. Nonprofits are able to choose among a range of low-cost or free video conferencing platforms for their meetings, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, WebEx and Google Meet. Nonprofits can also utilize board management software with a meeting interface that allows remote participation.
Although the majority of discussions in the meeting are conducted through audio and video, the ability of seeing facial expressions can be a great way to encourage more interactive and interactive meetings. To ensure that everyone is heard, the chair should summon board members who aren’t yet to speak, and limit the number of people speaking at once. This ensures that no one person dominates the discussion and ensures a balanced process of decision making. To minimize background noise, have attendees turn off their phones and hit the mute feature when not talking.
Some directors may not be familiar with the virtual meeting environment and may be hesitant to speak out. This reduces their involvement and their effectiveness. This can be solved by providing an easy-to-use meeting interface, and offering an orientation session to help participants with the platform and encouraging them to practice prior to the actual meeting. The board can also develop an agenda with strict deadlines for each item. This will ensure that the meeting goes smoothly and that the goal is accomplished. Board members can highlight documents on their computers and take notes to increase their engagement and speed the meeting. They can share notes with the members to improve collaboration and the quality of their meeting minutes.