A board is responsible for decisions at a high level, unlike a CEO. The board is responsible for selecting and, if necessary replacing the chief executive officer and executing the fiduciary responsibilities of the company’s shareholders and stakeholders.
Therefore an effective and engaged board will approach staff as a team, not as subordinates. The members who are respectful and thoughtful of the board listen to their staff and treat them with respect, even if they disagree with an employee’s opinion. Board members are expected to act on issues that impact the mission of the organization regardless of its size.
The precise minutes of meetings are essential to effective board governance. They can help members who are not present understand what took place at the meeting, and can provide clarity on any strategies or metrics that might need to be tracked. Boards that take the time to create concise and clear minutes are better prepared to deal with legal issues.
This blog post from SSIR will show you how to draft effective minutes for board meetings. The blog is a great resource for anyone interested board governance and governance, with a emphasis on boards for non-profit organizations.