http://www.digitalboardarea.net/how-to-hire-a-good-company-secretary/
A successful board meeting requires meticulous preparation, planning and sharing agenda items well in advance of the meeting. It also requires a focus on the discussion topics and a clear record and documentation of actions and decisions. This allows for efficient meetings and responsible follow-up to bring businesses closer to their goals.
It is essential to become familiar with the expertise, interests and expectations of each member of the board to ensure that your meetings be as efficient and effective as they can be. This helps you to tailor the agenda and encourage participation. Knowing the individual board members will help you determine the most appropriate time to schedule meetings and also provides a suitable place to hold discussions.
Prioritizing the most important issues is essential to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. A general rule of thumb is to limit the number of issues to be discussed at a given meeting to two per hour, with the aim of allowing up to 30 minutes for each issue. If the business is struggling in any way, it may be appropriate to allocate a greater percentage of the meeting to discussing hope and future plans rather than updates.
The need to have all the necessary documents (committee reports, staff reports, Board packs, and other documents that contextualize the forthcoming decisions) available and easy to access before the meeting can also assist in increasing Board participation. Make sure that all of these documents are uploaded to your Board portal and accessible to the Board prior to the meeting, as well as during the meeting during the meeting itself.
