The quality of your board’s meetings will depend on how much work members do before each one. Online meetings are more productive and efficient if participants are prepared. A well-prepared team is more likely to adhere to the agenda and make sure they aren’t distracted by any tangent.

It’s crucial to establish clear expectations for board members who are remote on how they are required to take part in meetings. For instance, it’s best to remind people to mute themselves and only speak when required to do so. This will stop people from arguing or leaving the room without feeling heard. It’s also crucial that the convener ask participants for assistance in a tech issue prior to beginning.

Include the rules for virtual meetings in the orientation for board members material so that everyone knows what to expect before and after the meeting. It’s important, for example to provide the agenda prior to the meeting and then to follow up each day or early in the morning to confirm the details. You can also provide the Zoom or meeting link to participants again and remind them about any other preferences that you may have (such as soliciting them to tune in to the meeting from a quiet space to minimize distractions). It is recommended to include a placeholder to an executive session to every item on the agenda, and include this at the beginning of the meeting data-centric strategies in M&A execution to avoid confusion.