How effective are your board meetings? 5 easy ways to measure - and improve them instantly
In many organizations, board meetings take place in the evening, between work and other commitments. It can easily get messy - agendas are late, follow-ups are forgotten, and decisions end up in someone's private email inbox. Do you recognize yourself?
But it doesn't have to be that way. With a few simple metrics - and a digital tool tailored to boards - you can significantly improve quality. Here are five indicators to help you measure and improve board performance.
📊 1. Time spent per meeting - are you sticking to the plan?
Long meetings are a drain on engagement, especially when items drag on or discussions get out of hand. A clear agenda and timeframe provides both focus and pace.
Test yourselves:
Can you set an end time and actually keep it?
✅ 2. Follow-up - what happens after the meeting?
Many decisions are taken - but are they followed up? In boards, it is common for tasks to be 'forgotten' once the meeting is over and the minutes rest in a PDF somewhere.
Key performance indicators to measure:
What percentage of decisions or action points are checked off between meetings?
👥 3. Attendance and engagement - is everyone coming, is everyone participating?
Absenteeism is often higher on non-profit boards than on corporate boards. But if engagement is lacking, it may be due to unclear roles, poor structure or simply a sense of 'futility'.
Ask yourself the question:
How often is at least one third of the board absent? Why are they absent?
📂 4. Structure - is there a clear agenda?
Meetings where everything is brought up "on the fly" create stress. A predetermined agenda that everyone has seen in advance creates calm, overview and respect for everyone's time.
Measure:
How often is the agenda sent out at least 48 hours in advance?
📥 5. Information sharing - does everyone have access to the right data in time?
It is not uncommon for important documents to be scattered in different email threads, Dropbox folders or the Chair's hard drive. This creates uncertainty - and inefficiency.
Ask yourselves:
As board members, are you getting the right information - at the right time, in the right place?
🚀 How to improve your meetings - without working more
Here are some simple solutions:
- Digital agenda - making it easy to come prepared
- Action lists with responsible & deadline - ensure follow-up
- Minutes, attachments & documents in one place
- Automatic reminders to those responsible
- Simple overview of history & decisions
💡 Reduca Board Portal - built for you, the board member
Reduca is a Swedish-developed board portal that makes it easy to organize, document and follow up on the work of the board - even for those who are not tech-savvy. With a few clicks you get:
✅ Digital meeting template with e-signature
✅ Available anywhere, anytime
✅ Clear overview for the whole board
✅ Smooth document management
✅ Easy handover between outgoing and new boards
👉 Try Reduca Board Portal - and get your boardroom in order, without the extra hassle.
📩 Book a free demo or start your trial today.
