Standard agenda for board meetings

What’s a standard agenda for board meetings and when should you use it?

This is a simple standard template agenda for board meetings. 

There is no particular magic to these agendas.

This one contains what you’d expect a good agenda to set out.

It should be circulated in advance of the board meeting and relevant materials that the attendees are expected to have read beforehand and/or which will support the discussions during the meeting itself should be attached.

How often should you hold board meetings?

There’s no hard and fast rule, but since this is the management team for your company, you should be taking stock reasonably regularly, so that you can review the impact of your activities, the financial health of your business, the return on investment of your spending and whether your business plan is on track or needs further brainstorming.

You may also hold board meetings for other reasons, for example, managing decision making when facing extraordinary events.

Do you have to attend in person?

No. You can attend by telephone/equivalent video or audio connection.

You should ensure that there is a quorum (minimum number of directors’ present), for the board to take any decisions in relation to the business.

Your company’s constitution will contain your business’s position on quorum.

They should also cover what happens where there is a deadlock between the directors on a matter that the board must decide.

Usually, a CEO or, if there is one, the chairman, will have a casting vote.

These issues may also be dealt with in a shareholders agreement

What else might you need?

You can find our template constitution here.

You are also required to keep minutes of meetings.

These should be kept in a safe and secure place, lest you be asked to disclose them in certain circumstances.

PLUGGED has several tailored templates, formatted to cover various discussions and decisions that may be taken at board level, which you can find here