How to Plan Effective Board and Committee Meetings
- Jeri Brown
- Apr 23
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Anyone can schedule a meeting, but turning it into a productive session that drives real outcomes? That’s a different challenge entirely. For company secretaries and executive assistants, facilitating a great board meeting is one of the most impactful ways to support strong corporate governance. But even seasoned professionals face the occasional challenge of tight deadlines, unclear agendas, or delays in receiving board packs.
This comprehensive guide covers practical strategies for:
how to start a board meeting
how to run a board meeting efficiently
how to create a strong board meeting agenda structure, and
how to avoid common pitfalls.
Whether you’re preparing your tenth meeting this month or managing your first AGM, this guide will answer all your questions about how to run an efficient board meeting.
What Makes a Board Meeting Truly Efficient?
Efficiency in the boardroom isn’t simply about keeping to time. A truly efficient board meeting enables well-informed decisions, focused discussion, and clear accountability, without feeling rushed or rigid.
Imagine a board meeting that runs exactly on time, but the room is silent when a decision is called for. Board members feel unprepared, unsure of key issues, and hesitant to engage. On paper, the meeting may seem efficient. In reality, it’s far from effective.
An efficient meeting is one where:
The board receives the right information, in the right format, at the right time
The agenda drives purposeful dialogue, not status updates
Participants come prepared and engaged
The chair can steer discussion without dominating it
Follow-up actions are clearly assigned and monitored
Efficiency also means balancing governance and strategy. A board stuck in the weeds may miss critical high-level decisions, while an overly strategic discussion without proper grounding can lead to vague outcomes.
Key Roles of the Company Secretary Explained
The company secretary is the engine room behind any well-run board or committee meeting. While responsibilities may vary by organisation, the core role typically includes:
Planning and scheduling meetings in line with statutory and governance timelines
Preparing and distributing board packs, ensuring completeness and clarity
Drafting and circulating the agenda, often in collaboration with the Chair or CEO
Maintaining accurate minutes and ensuring follow-up on action items
Advising on compliance, legal duties, and procedural matters
Consider a situation where the Chair walks into a meeting only to discover that a critical approval item hasn’t been added to the agenda. The company secretary typically prevents these issues, offering seamless behind-the-scenes coordination that many don’t see but everyone depends on.
In many organisations, the company secretary also serves as a trusted advisor to the board, helping to balance regulatory obligations with commercial awareness.
Steps to Plan Board and Committee Meetings
A well-planned meeting starts long before directors gather around the boardroom table or log in to a Teams call. Poor planning leads to confusion, late papers, and missed opportunities for input.
Here’s a suggested process:
Confirm meeting dates early
Circulate a schedule of board and committee meetings for the year ahead
Avoid last-minute changes unless unavoidable
Establish submission deadlines
Create a calendar with key deadlines for agenda items and board papers
Use automated reminders to prompt contributors
Collaborate on the agenda
Meet with the Chair or CEO to identify priority items
Flag items requiring board approval versus those for noting
Prepare and review board packs
Ensure documents are concise, relevant, and free from jargon
Provide a summary or covering note to assist understanding
Consider using a digital portal to streamline access and version control
Distribute materials in advance
Aim to issue board packs at least five to seven days before the meeting
Where possible, use secure digital platforms over email
Final logistics
Confirm attendees and quorum requirements
Test technology (particularly for hybrid or virtual meetings)
Prepare any required resolutions or voting materials
Essential Rules for Running Board Meetings
When the meeting starts, all eyes are on the Chair. But behind the scenes, the company secretary ensures that the structure and support are in place for everything to run smoothly.
These rules help ensure effectiveness:
Start on time and verify quorum
The Chair should formally open the meeting—see our guidance below on how to start a board meeting
Maintain formality where required, but foster an atmosphere of constructive challenge
Keep discussions aligned to agenda topics
Track action points and decisions in real-time
Support the Chair in enforcing time limits if the discussion veers off track
Ensure proper procedures are followed for voting and declarations of interest
How to Create a Clear Meeting Agenda
Without a focused agenda, even the most capable board can become inefficient. Agendas that are vague, overloaded, or unclear about purpose can derail the meeting before it begins.
A well-structured agenda sets the tone and keeps the meeting focused. When considering board meeting agenda structure, include:
Apologies and confirmation of quorum
Approval of previous minutes
Matters arising (brief updates on prior action items)
Key strategic issues, limited to a few high-impact topics
Operational reports from the CEO, CFO, or committee updates
Compliance and governance matters
Any other business (AOB) - used sparingly to avoid surprises
Close and confirmation of next meeting
Tips:
Allocate approximate times to each item
Flag decision points clearly
Group similar topics to streamline the discussion
Share the agenda as part of your board pack to help directors prepare
Tips for Managing Time During Meetings
A three-hour meeting that runs over by an hour leaves directors fatigued and disengaged. Meetings that are rushed leave no space for meaningful discussion. The company secretary can play a vital role in helping the Chair manage time wisely.
Try these techniques:
Use a time-boxed agenda: Assign realistic time slots to each item. Build in a buffer for longer debates.
Prep the Chair ahead of time: Help the Chair anticipate which items may spark discussion and where to tighten control.
Limit presentations: Encourage contributors to assume papers have been read. Focus on implications and recommendations.
Use a “parking lot”: When discussions veer off topic, note these items for follow-up outside the meeting.
Prioritise the strategic: Make time for strategy and risk, even if it means deferring less critical updates to a written format.
Common Mistakes in Board Meeting Planning
Even the most experienced professionals can fall into familiar traps. These are often revealed when the board feels meetings are unproductive or repetitive.
Mistakes to avoid:
Overloading the agenda: Trying to do too much results in shallow discussion.
Last-minute papers: Late submissions reduce director preparedness.
Vague agenda items: “Update on X” invites rambling. Be specific about the purpose when including agenda items.
Neglecting director input: Failing to seek feedback on the agenda can lead to misaligned priorities.
No follow-through: Actions without clear ownership often get forgotten.
Company Secretary Meeting Checklist
Before the meeting:
Confirm date, time, and venue/platform.
Verify quorum requirements.
Circulate meeting invite and calendar hold.
Set and communicate deadlines for board papers.
Draft agenda in consultation with the Chair.
Collect, format, and review board papers.
Upload/distribute the board pack securely.
Prepare voting papers or resolutions if required.
Confirm RSVPs and special access needs.
Test AV/tech setup if hybrid or virtual.
During the meeting:
Verify quorum at start.
Ensure accurate timekeeping.
Record key discussion points and decisions.
Note action items and responsible persons.
Monitor procedural requirements (e.g., declarations of interest).
After the meeting:
Draft and circulate minutes within 5–7 days.
Update the action log and track progress.
File and archive all documents securely.
Reflect and adjust processes for the next meeting.
Additional Tools for Digital Board Management
As organisations embrace hybrid and remote governance, digital tools are essential. Yet many boards still rely on email chains and manual follow-up, which increases the risk of errors and reduces transparency.
Consider:
Board portals: Diligent, Board Intelligence, BoardPro, and Convene offer secure access to board materials and real-time collaboration.
Project management tools: Trello, Asana, and Monday.com help track action items and timelines.
Digital signatures: DocuSign or Adobe Sign streamlines approvals.
Scheduling assistants: Doodle or Calendly can help manage availability.
These platforms can help company secretaries save time, improve audit trails, and support the board’s efficiency.
Virtual and Hybrid Meetings: Common Challenges and Mitigation
The shift to virtual meetings introduced new variables. Many boards now prefer hybrid formats, which allow remote participation while retaining in-person connection. But these meetings pose challenges that can undermine effectiveness.
Problem: Technical disruptions
Mitigation:
Pre-meeting tech checks
Provide dial-in backups
Share guidance on etiquette and expectations
Problem: Lack of engagement
Mitigation:
Use cameras when possible
Keep sessions interactive
Use prompts to invite contributions from quieter members
Problem: Split dynamics in hybrid settings
Mitigation:
Use microphones that capture the full room
Appoint a tech facilitator to monitor chat and raise points
Ensure remote participants can view presentation materials and follow voting procedures
Company secretaries can bridge the gap by planning for these variables and ensuring consistent protocols are followed regardless of format.
Post-Meeting Tasks for Company Secretaries
The meeting may be over, but the governance work continues. Post-meeting discipline is critical to maintaining transparency, trust, and accountability.
Draft and circulate minutes
Use consistent formatting and clear language
Circulate promptly, ideally within a week
Track actions and resolutions
Maintain a live action log
Circulate before the next meeting for review
Archive securely
Ensure documents are properly filed
Use platforms that support version control and audit trails
Continuous improvement
Reflect on what worked well
Capture informal feedback
Update your processes and checklists
Planning and running an efficient board meeting is a skill that develops over time, but having the right systems, structure, and support makes a world of difference. By owning the process end-to-end, company secretaries can become essential partners to the board, ensuring that every meeting delivers value and clarity.
Efficiency is not just about speed. It’s about ensuring that every agenda item contributes meaningfully and that directors can do their best work without friction. The modern boardroom, whether virtual or physical, demands clarity, coordination, and confidence—all qualities that a well-prepared company secretary brings to the table.
