by brafe.space
This playbook is brafe.space’s effort to re-design Board Meetings. It includes a theoretical grounding, as well as a broad range of examples and templates from experienced board members and leadership teams in both for-profit and non-profit sectors) in one easy-to-use guide. It is written both for supervisory members of existing or newly formed boards, as well as for founders or management teams participating in such meetings.
<aside> ⚙ Note — This is a living document and we are sharing it here in an early format. We make no claim to completeness, but instead expect this document to be updated and expanded in tune with the learnings of the brafe.space community.
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Lays out what a board meeting is and which other meeting structures we are targeting with this playbook.
Starts with a theoretical description of two different types of board meetings and walks you through the different value systems attached to them.
Presents you with a range of case studies in order to give you an idea of the wealth of different kinds of meeting structures and cultures you can choose from.
Provides a tool box in which we are presenting a few concrete instruments for your own work. This section has the potential to grow into a much larger resource for innovative board meetings.
We hope you find this information useful when planning your next board meeting. All the best!
<aside> 💡 Note — Board meetings (& similar ceremonies) exist in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, and our exploration of this ceremony is informed by perspectives from both sectors and applies to both sectors.
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In a board meeting, financial backers and the leadership team come together in regular intervals to review performance, discuss strategy, set goals, and address major challenges and opportunities.
The board meeting is the most important ceremony in the formal governance structure of organisations. This is true for both for-profit and non-profit organisations.
And yet, despite their importance, many participants experience board meetings as deeply unsatisfying**.** Ultimately, board meetings can feel like a necessary—and empty—ritual, rather than an opportunity for co-creation and impact.