Governance Online meetings are a great method of making decisions that affect the entire organization. However, they are not a substitute for face-to-face meetings. Governing board members and shareholders need to be physically present in order to make decisions that are legally binding.
Virtual meetings should be conducted as closely as possible to an in-person meeting. Participants should be prepared for the meeting, study any advance materials and be on time. They should also interact with one the same way as they would during an in-person meeting.
The best way to do this is to set up an agenda of the meeting sent to all participants ahead of time and allocate a specific time frame for each item on the agenda. This will ensure that discussions stay on track and will prevent the meeting from running over the time limit. Additionally, the presiding officer should encourage participants to raise their hands or post messages to the chat anytime they want to take part. This will let participants express their opinions without disrupting other chat members and make them feel less lonely.
The chief officer may also encourage the use of the Mute button. This can help reduce any background noise, like children’s crying, dogs barking or doorbell sounding. They should also ensure that they check in with their attendees regularly to ensure that they are able to participate. Additionally, they must make sure that minutes are taken of the meeting and that all important decisions or actions are recorded.