Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Eric Knox provided guidance for an article in Agenda about best practices for conducting virtual board meetings. Some best practices mentioned in the article involve facilitating discussion, completing minutes in a timely manner, and protecting the privacy of the meeting’s discussion.
Eric advised, “If you’re talking about something that relates to finances, your financial experts are the ones you might want to direct discussion to after you finish the introduction so questions are flowing to people with expertise first. Then, other directors can interject with their questions or thoughts.”
Additionally, Eric added, “When you’re on a call, I think secretaries need to take good notes, and also, it’s best practice to get those minutes drafted as soon as possible after the meeting, because the imprint of that meeting isn’t as defined as if you’re sitting in the room with everybody. If you’re living the meeting in that room, the takeaway is more tangible.”
And finally, Eric reminded readers, “We’re talking about things that are probably not public. When we’re in a room, that’s easier to protect because we’re all in the same room. But when you’re at home or wherever you may be taking the call, you should isolate yourself in a way that you’re not distracted by what’s going on and generally people might not hear what you’re saying.”
The full article, “Best Practices for Virtual Board Meetings,” was published by Agenda on March 20 and is available online (subscription required).