In addition to the actual meeting the board meetings require a lot of preparation by many people. All participants must adhere to the proper manners for a board meeting to ensure that these meetings are as productive and efficient as possible. This will ensure that the discussion stays focused and keeps participants from wasting time or distracting others.
It is important to avoid this by distributing the agenda, the reports, and the discussion points a couple of days before the meeting. This lets members prepare their questions and suggestions in advance. If members have real or potential conflicts of interest that they know about it is best practice to inform the chair prior to the meeting so that he or she can allow members to declare their conflict and request them to refrain from voting.
Respecting the opinions and contributions of other members is an additional aspect of the etiquette. This includes paying attention to and not interrupting other speakers, even if you disagree with them. This means speaking clearly and only asking questions when needed. Finally, it is an excellent idea to switch off or turn off your cell phone during the meeting, and only take personal calls in an emergency.
This will help the others to focus and participate in the meeting to the fullest extent. You don’t want them to be distracted or anxious about your microphone not being muted by the ringtone on your mobile phone.