People tend to be less attentive when it comes to a remote board meeting as they would in person. It’s much easier to give in to the urge to check email, grab an ice cream or snack, or answer the phone. You can get over the majority of these problems by conducting your meetings efficiently. The following best practices will help keep your virtual meetings on track safe and productive.

Make use of a trusted online portal with board management software, which includes agenda builders along with video integration and other useful tools, such as document centers and task managers. These tools allow you to hold your meetings without leaving the portal, and ensure that everyone is able to access them regardless of location and time zone, or device. It’s a good idea also to assign a moderator your meeting. They will be able to oversee all these systems and ensure the technology is functioning properly.

Make sure you send out meeting reminders at least 24 hours prior to the call. This will help reduce the number of no-shows, and also ensure that participants are provided with all the necessary information to participate. Also, make use of an he has a good point agenda template that lists specific call details so participants don’t get lost in the conversation.

If a board member is in a position to not attend a remote meeting, he or she must write a letter to the board explaining the reasons for their absence and describing any reasonable accommodations needed. The board will then decide whether the reason is valid. This can be a complicated process however, the board must strive to be as fair and consistent as possible.