A Better Way to Address New Business at a Board Meeting

A non-profit board meeting traditionally has a few recurring agenda items such as approving the previous meeting minutes, committee reports, old business, and new business. The terms old business and new business are closely tied, and confusion can arise trying to figure out what items are handled under which heading.

When a meeting agenda is confusing, board members won’t understand where they can request the addition of an item for discussion, the meeting can drag on too long, and disengagement may occur.

To make a board meeting agenda clearer, it helps to first differentiate between the terms old business and new business. New business is pretty straight forward. It is any item, not previously discussed, that needs the board’s attention or approval.

The term old business is misleading. Technically, old business would include items that were already discussed and handled at a previous meeting. No one would want to repeat that process. The correct term should be unfinished business, which is any item previously discussed, but where a decision is still required.

Instead of trying to differentiate between what’s new, or old, or unfinished, a better way is to combine all business into one agenda category. With this method, the terms old business and new business are dropped, and a new header, Business of the Meeting, is used in its place.  

The terms old business and new business are dropped, and a new header, Business of the Meeting, is used in its place.

Switching to the heading of Business of the Meeting, helps board members get to right to work, without wasting time wondering if an item should have been handled during a different part of the meeting. The switch helps board members more clearly understand when, during the meeting, all business matters will be conducted, and when they can request to add an item.

Eliminating the confusion around old/new business helps to keep board members more engaged and speeds up the flow of discussions, typically making meetings shorter – and we all like shorter meetings.

Implementing the new agenda category, Business of the Meeting, is quite straight forward. It is primarily a few changes to the wording on the agenda, deleting two separate headings, and creating one new combo heading.

If a non-profit board wants to take meeting business to the next level, a calendar can be created for items that need to be addressed later. This is an excellent way to schedule discussion topics that might need a little longer to be researched, before being brought back to the board table for a decision.

When a non-profit board wants to streamline meeting discussions, the agenda headers for old and new business are combined into one common heading of Business of the Meeting. The change will increase clarity for board members and help meeting move along more quickly.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ideas. My mission is to take the mystery out of running a small non-profit. If you know someone who needs to read this, why not grab the link, and share it with them. Let’s work together to simplify the business of a board meeting.

-Christie

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Hi, I'm Christie Saas, former board member, current Executive Director, and non-profit volunteer. I remember well, those early years when I lacked the training, the confidence, and the work-life balance to focus on becoming the best non-profit leader I could be.

Fast-forward past many bumps in the road, lessons learned, and you’ll find me still in the trenches, but a little wiser, a little calmer, and a whole lot happier. I love my work and I want to help you love yours too.

I created ChristieSaas.com to give you tools, tips, and templates to remove the mystery of learning to run a small non-profit. If you’re a brand-new non-profit leader, or a little more seasoned, someone who’s looking to make a meaningful contribution and still have time for a full life away from the job, you’re in the right place.

© Christie Saas 2022 All Rights Reserved

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