20 Signs Your Board Meetings Suck

"If I didn't have to go to or lead meetings, I would really love my job more".

Have you ever said this? Or thought it?

Don't worry if you said yes because at some point (or all the time right now) we have all felt this way.

In the context of a Board Chair or leader in general, this is actually a little strange though.

Have you ever heard a sports coach ever say, "If it weren't for the games, I would really love my job". Or an actor say, "If only I didn't have those movies or Broadway shows, this would be a really fun job". Or a surgeon says, "If I didn't have to operate on people, I would really like what I do."

You see the thing is, if you are a leader of people in any capacity, meetings are your playing field, your stage, your operating theatre.

Meetings are the most important moment in your day, your week or your year because this is where you get stuff done.

The problem is that so many people still think that meetings are inherently a waste of time. It's just something we HAVE to do.

"When is this meeting going to be over because I have to get back to work"

Meetings aren't just work; they are the essence of work.

If great boards have great board meetings, then what do bad boards have?

How are your board meetings? Do your members leave feeling energised and ready to be the best ambassadors they can be for your organisation? Are they properly prepared ahead of time? Do they understand their roles and responsibilities and stay engaged between meetings?

Or maybe there’s some work to be done.

It’s time to introduce more accountability to Board Chairs and Executive Directors who dread board meetings. What follows here is a checklist filled with indicators of a board meeting gone bad.

After your next board meeting, your Executive Director and board chair should sit together and review this list. If you’re showing more than a few of these signs, you have some real work to do.

Here we go…

Here are 20 signs that might indicate a bad board meeting:

1. Lack of confidentiality: Sensitive information is discussed outside the boardroom.

2. Conflicting agendas: Directors have different goals and priorities.

3. Disorderly behavior: Members talk over each other, and meetings lack structure.

4. Lack of respect: Board members belittle or undermine each other.

5. Dominating individuals: Some members control the discussion and don't allow others to speak.

6. Ranting chair: The chairperson loses control and rants during the meeting.

7. Unprepared members: Directors come to the meeting unprepared.

8. Long, boring meetings: Meetings drag on without achieving much.

9. Lack of decision-making: Discussions happen, but no decisions are made.

10. Unclear roles: Members are unsure of their responsibilities.

11. Negative attitudes: Some members are overly critical and negative.

12. Ignoring rules: Meeting rules and protocols are not followed.

13. Lack of engagement: Members are disengaged and not actively participating.

14. Poor agenda management: The agenda is poorly structured and not followed.

15. Time mismanagement: Meetings start late or run over time.

16. Lack of follow-up: Decisions made in meetings are not followed up on.

17. Ineffective chairperson: The chairperson fails to keep the meeting on track.

18. Groupthink: The board falls into groupthink and doesn't consider alternative viewpoints.

19. Lack of training: Board members haven't received adequate training.

20. Ignoring legal obligations: Board members are unaware of their legal responsibilities.

Do any of these signs resonate with your experience?

On a lighter note, can you relate to any of these?

• The meeting seems to go beautifully – staff presentations are clear and there are no questions. Actually, the board does not ask a single question (with the possible exception of, “I’m sorry – what time are we scheduled to end the meeting? I may need to leave early.”)

• You can tell there is a group text going on among board members – and there is enough giggling to suggest that it is not board-related business.

• Your board meeting is a conference call and there’s no video.

• The agenda is identical to the last meeting; in fact, so identical that someone forgot to change the date.

• Board members leave feeling that absolutely NOTHING is a challenge.

• Board members leave feeling that absolutely EVERYTHING is a challenge.

• No one pays attention and you run out of time before getting through your agenda.

• A board member who never attends actually shows up, but the only evidence of his attendance is his empty bowl of M and M’s.

• The words, “I would love to hear your thoughts” are never uttered by the Executive Director.

• The voting process is so awkward that people start laughing. The board chair joins in the merriment and says, “I’m sure there are some rules we should be following. Peter (Executive Director) can you put that on your list.”

• A phone rings more than once.

• A board member leaves the room because of a call and does not apologise. She simply says “Oh, I really have to take this.”

• At least one board member falls asleep.

• Staff in attendance are relegated to a corner of the room and are not seated (like partners) at the conference table. Your meeting really sucks if the staff have their own kids’ table.

• Not a single story is told about a life your organisation has touched recently.

SO, DO YOUR BOARD MEETINGS SUCK?

How many of these signs felt familiar? If you checked a lot of these boxes:

• You have work to do.

• You are not treating board members with respect.

• You simply cannot expect them to be effective ambassadors for your organisation, inviting people to know and do more.

In my next post I will offer some practical antidotes for many of the items above. Board meetings do not have to be like this. And it doesn’t take much to get them right.

Stay tuned.

DID I MISS ANY SIGNS?

Want to add another sign to the list? Please do so in the comments below!