Bob Harris, NAIFA Blueprint keynote speaker, recently had an article published in MultiBriefs on how to advance the mission and strategic goals of boards. Specifically, the article focuses on how the standard board agenda typically includes dozens of reports and updates. Reading and listening to these reports is not good use of board time, as a board should be focusing their meeting time on strategic discussion.

There are two types of agendas for board meetings:

The standard meeting agenda is a list of meeting activities in the order in which they are to be taken up, beginning with the call to order and ending with adjournment. It usually includes one or more specific items of business to be acted upon. A carefully crafted agenda facilitates an orderly meeting and decision making.

The consent agenda is a single item on the standard agenda that includes things the board should read but requires no action or discussion. Sometimes it is called a “consent calendar.”

Leaders should consider implementing the consent agenda model, in order to save time and have more productive board meetings.

In the article, NAIFA's very own Vice President of Member and Chapter Services, Corey Mathews, CAE is also quoted saying, "This is a powerful tool that allows you to preserve precious time and energy, directing the focus on the strategic matters facing the board.”

To learn more about consent agendas, read the full article here.