The rules for board meetings are designed to ensure that meetings are on the right track, ensure discussion is equitable and provide a clear basis for debate on crucial business issues. These rules are equally crucial today as they were in the past, and are especially important when meetings take place in an online or hybrid format.

Board directors must be prepared for each board meeting. They must have read the board papers prior to their arrival and should bring with any ideas or questions they may have about the topics to be discussed. Directors should be prepared to respond to questions during the meeting from other members. This will assist in achieving the main goal of the board which is to determine the company’s strategies and define the team’s efforts toward these goals.

To be able to speak during a board meeting, a director should raise their hand and wait for their name to be asked to make an announcement or ask an inquiry. Directors should only speak on topics where they are experts board meeting rules or on questions raised during the meeting. It is not appropriate for directors to give long speeches about themselves or to criticize other board members.

The chair can limit the number of persons who can speak about a particular issue and end the discussion by voting. The chair can also adjourn a meeting at the request of any Director. A board director could also make use of a point of privilege to address urgent matters not related to motions pending or other matters, such as excessive background noise or an emergency situation that requires to be addressed immediately.