An organized agenda is the foundation for every boardroom meeting. It sets the tone for how engaged your board members are in discussion and outlines the topics you’re planning to discuss, and gives you an early start on making comprehensive minutes that document your decisions.

The ideal board meeting agenda includes a dedicated section for reporting. Department chairs and committee chairpersons can inform the board about important information. Depending on the needs of your organization, this could include reports from key departments and committees, such as the finance director, executive director or the nominating committee.

The next item on your agenda of board meetings should be “new business.” This is the time when you and your coworkers will discuss new ideas that have emerged during your last meeting, and how you can best move forward. This is a great opportunity to discuss and debate, so make sure to board chat room schedule ample time for discussion. In most cases, your board will decide to modify tables, change the agenda, or give an agenda item to a different committee to handle.

In the new business section it is also commonplace to include space for special announcements and congratulations. This is a chance to show your board members a little recognition and show that you care about their contributions.