The board plays a significant role in an association’s success. Association boards are complex, as policies and bylaws might require approval by the membership. Nonprofits typically focus on their missions, and though associations are also mission-driven, they are more membership-focused and provide services and products to their members.

Association board members are often pulled in several directions dealing with the stressors associated with their full-time jobs, along with their duties as dedicated board members. Here’s how you can manage your association’s board with ease, according to Krista Martin, a vice president at Boardable.

Making the most of boardroom meetings is the first step to furthering your organization’s mission. To do this, you must know how to maximize meetings and ensure all members of your board are engaged. If you want your board to exceed expectations and achieve positive results every time, you should utilize the correct digital tools and resources. 

Planning can simplify the process of creating engaging meetings that will help your association thrive, according to Martin. Use these tips for creating an effective association board meeting:

• Create an agenda for your board’s meetings. This keeps your team on track and organized.
• Share significant documents and other materials beforehand. Doing so gives your board members time to review important materials, which leads to better conversation and collaboration.
• Encourage collaboration and participation. This can be accomplished by acknowledging specific members of your board during meetings, as well as communicating with your board members frequently and thoroughly.
• Keep meetings short and efficient. Each member of your board has work to do outside of the association. Plus, lengthy meetings lead to decreased attention and productivity. Achieve better results by keeping discussions to the point and engaging.
• Determine what comes next. When a meeting ends, outline action items and tasks to be completed by the next meeting.