Many board www.itsboardroom.com/how-to-set-up-successful-hybrid-board-meetings/ members of non-profit organizations are now embracing hybrid meetings due to persistent concerns about the spread of disease to meetings in person. For those governing bodies that opt to go with a hybrid approach in the long term, it’s important to prioritize engagement and provide quality virtual experiences for their attendees. Here are a few key suggestions on how to accomplish that:
Start the meeting off with an icebreaker or check-in activity. This allows attendees to feel connected over their screens.
Make use of a video conferencing software which offers more than just audio and meeting tools. Make sure you choose a program that offers accessibility features such as text-to-speech and dyslexia friendly fonts so that everyone who attends of your meeting are able to participate without barriers.
Consider using a whiteboard with a digital interface like Mural or Miro that allows participants from both locations to collaborate in real-time during the meeting. This will let everyone see each other and collaborate as well as creating documents that make synchronous follow-up much more efficient.
Set time limits on the comments that are made by both in-person attendees and remote participants as you work through a specific topic. This will help to avoid getting off-topic or wasting too much time focusing on one issue. This will help keep meetings on course. For the best outcomes, it is essential for the chairperson of the board to be hands-on during the meeting and to encourage participation from all participants. The chair must actively solicit feedback from the attendees and interact with them, especially those who are shy to ensure that everyone feels heard.