Is your Board Room Hurting Your Board Meeting?

Is your Board Room Hurting Your Board Meeting?

A few months ago, I wrote about tips for better board meetings.  I recently had a board meeting experience that made me think about another aspect of meeting dynamics. 

Anyone that plans board meetings on a regular basis knows the basics, including locating  a board room or meeting facility that’s geographically accessible for participants, has a space that’s large enough, has conferencing capabilities if necessary, has access to sleeping rooms if needed, and the list goes on.  But how much thought have you given to the room itself and how that might be impacting board member interaction and effectiveness?

For a recent meeting, the board and staff were huddled around a large, square table, filling all 14 available chairs.  The room was definitely full, but not crowded.  A board member spoke up at the beginning of the meeting to say that she really felt comfortable with the more intimate setting, likening it to the difference between sitting in someone’s kitchen versus our typical meeting space that she viewed as a more formal arrangement, like a dining room.

As the meeting proceeded, what emerged was a more collaborative and effective meeting.  Board members who in the past had been reluctant to participate now spoke freely.  The interaction was about work we were accomplishing together, rather than a meeting dominated by one-way communication.  Decisions were made and board members and staff left invigorated by their progress.

There are certainly times when a more formal meeting is required.  But for “working” meetings where you want to foster discussion and build consensus, it’s worth considering whether your meeting room itself will aid in that effort or work against it.

  

 -Kim