A video conference enables remote board participants to see each other, even with different kinds of devices. For their meetings, nonprofits can pick between a variety of video conference platforms, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting WebEx, and Google Meet. Nonprofits can also make use of software for managing boards that includes an interface for meetings that allows remote participation.
The ability to observe the expressions of participants could encourage more interactive and participatory meetings. To ensure that everyone is heard, have the chair invite board members who haven’t spoke and limit the number of people who speak at the same time. This ensures that no person dominates the discussion and allows for a more balanced decision-making process. To avoid background noise, have attendees turn off their phones and use the mute button when not talking.
Some directors might not be familiar with the virtual meeting platform, and will be reluctant to speak up. This can hinder their participation and effectiveness. This can be addressed by providing a user-friendly meeting interface, offering an introduction to the meeting platform, introducing participants with the system and encouraging them to practice before the actual meeting. The board can also create an agenda that is strict and limits the duration of each item to ensure the meeting runs smoothly and the desired outcome is reached. Board members can highlight and take notes on documents that are digital to improve their participation and speed up the meetings. They can share their annotations with other members to help collaborate and enhance the quality of their minutes.