Hybrid board meeting have a number advantages over traditional in-person or remote meetings. They allow nonprofits to overcome geographic barriers, connect with a broader range of perspectives, promote inclusion and increase participation rates. However, they also pose unique challenges that need to be addressed if the model is to last for the long haul.
In the end, it’s crucial to keep these issues at the forefront when deciding on the strategy for your board meeting in the future. To do this you should consider conducting an assessment of your hybrid meetings to understand what’s working and what’s not. This will allow you to prepare for the future and ensure that remote participants feel as involved as those who are present in the room.
One of the main concerns with hybrid meetings is that people in the room speak too much and leave remote members out of the discussion. To prevent this from happening chairpersons must be thoughtful and organized when addressing comments from members. Digital collaboration tools like whiteboards online can make this process more efficient and www.itsboardroom.com/data-room-for-business-deals-and-how-to-operate-with-it also encourage a more balanced conversation that allows everyone to be heard.
Another important aspect is to ensure that remote directors can be able to hear and see present attendees clearly. This requires high-quality video and audio equipment that is easy to set up for hybrid meetings and should be made available for everyone in attendance.
It’s important to set the mood for engagement prior to the start of a hybrid gathering by using warm-up exercises and icebreakers. This will allow everyone to settle in and begin the discussion. Also, ensure that remote members have access to and can read all board documents before the meeting. This is the easiest thing to do using a portal for boards that automatically updates the documents when new ones are added.