A well-written agenda for board meeting ensures productive and engaging discussions, with a plan to tackle the most important subjects of the company. Whatever the format of your meetings are held in person or on the web with a clear agenda, it allows members to stay active throughout the duration.

A well-planned agenda starts with an unambiguous and concise calling to order which announces the start of the meeting or any other proceedings. This could include the name of the chairperson as well as a short statement regarding the meeting’s purpose.

The next board meeting agenda should include a brief report or presentation by the executive director or CEO on the company’s current performance and the most important initiatives. You could also include a section that contains reports from the nominating, finance and governance committees.

If your company hosts guests who will be presenting or participating in an open forum discussions, you should allocate time for those. Also, you should leave make board meeting agenda more productive room for any special announcements or celebrations. You should also leave room for future business matters that need to be followed up on or haven’t been discussed previously.

The tendency to get distracted by new discussions is a frequent issue that can disrupt the pace of your meeting. Include a parking area at the end of the agenda, where you can debate new ideas. You should also include an estimate of how long each topic will take to debate. This will allow you to avoid overrunning the timeframe for board meetings. If you aren’t able to come to a conclusion on an issue, you can transfer it to the next board meeting to ensure that your agenda stays on track.