How to Get the Most out of Quarterly Board Meetings

“I didn’t fly all the way here to read a report” was one of the best pieces of feedback I ever got from an investor.

We had just finished a quarterly board meeting after spending three hours reviewing the information package I prepared. “I don’t want to fly all the way here to read a report I can read myself,” he continued. “We should talk about more strategic topics and make decisions.”

I took the feedback to heart and revamped interactions with my board. During this process, I learned that to run a best-in-class board meeting you must address three parts: before, during, and after.

Before the board meeting: Send a comprehensive package

A quarterly board package summarizes your performance in the previous quarter, gives a snapshot of your company’s yearly progress, and lets the board know where you’re going. Having created over 20 board packages, I can finally say we’ve landed on the right format!

We decided to create a slidedoc. It’s 120 digestible pages that provide different views of our company. We stress-test every aspect of the business through this document to ensure we don’t have any oversights. Here’s the structure:

• Cover slide
• Table of contents
• CEO update (three-minute Loom video that summarizes how I feel about the business)
• Mission
• Yearly goals and their status
• NPS overview
• Company-wide highs and lows from the previous quarter
• Company-wide objectives for the next quarter
• Financial summary and performance snapshot (bookings, ARR, budget, and how we’re performing against projections)
• Department-specific updates (each including a three-minute Loom video summary from the department head and department-specific OKR overviews, KPIs, highs, lows, and plans for the next quarter)
• Updated org chart (director and up)
• Culture and DEI update
• Product highs, lows, and KPIs (only applies if you’re a multi-product company)
• Account health (one slide for each of our big customers; only applies if you make enterprise sales)

It takes about 30 to 50 hours to produce the package, and every department head creates their section. Our Chief of Staff then takes the content and brings it all together. We send the document with the meeting agenda a minimum of 72 hours before the board meeting.

During the board meeting: Plan and follow an agenda

As for the agenda itself, I prepare it in consultation with the board. Two weeks before the board meeting, I ask our board members if there is anything they would like to chat about, and I incorporate that into the agenda.

Finally, I have a quick call with each board member one to two days before the meeting to ensure alignment and that I won’t get any curveballs when we meet.

Our board meetings are three to four hours long, and we meet once a quarter. A typical agenda includes the following:

• Answering questions regarding the board package — we don’t review it in the meeting; we only answer questions the board might have after reading it before the meeting (30 minutes)
• Discussing something a board member added to the agenda (30 minutes)
• Deep diving into a specific topic — a great opportunity to put one of your team members in front of the board (45 minutes)
• Break (15 minutes)
• Strategic topic discussion — fundraising, organizational restructuring, go-to-market planning, etc. (30 minutes)
• Board in-camera session — the investors talk, and you leave the room (15 minutes)
• CEO 1–1 with the investors (15 minutes)

As the CEO, you manage the meeting. You must control the room, keep everyone focused, follow the agenda, allocate appropriate time, and ensure a healthy and inclusive discussion. Also, make sure you take notes regarding action items and decisions made.

After the board meeting: Send follow-ups (and enjoy a meal)

Hopefully, you had a good board meeting! There are only a few things left to do:

1. Go and have dinner with your board! Your board is a team, and it’s crucial to build trust and relationships with them. You only see them once a quarter. It’s your responsibility to ensure you have strong relationships with each board member and them with each other.
2. Send an email summarizing the board meeting. It should include action items and decisions made.
3. Send out the board minutes for signature and file them for proper governance.
4. Have a 1–1 call with each board member to debrief.

While this might seem like a lot, it’s crucial for your success. The board and your investors control the resources your company needs to be successful. I recently hired a Chief of Staff, who helps me manage this process; I highly recommend it.

Do you have any other tips for having productive board meetings? Please leave them in the comments.