The quality of your board's meetings will depend on the amount of work your board members do before each one. Meetings held online can be more productive and efficient if participants prepare. A well-prepared group is more likely to stick to the agenda and avoid getting distracted.

It's crucial to establish clear expectations for board members who are remote on how they are expected to attend meetings. It's best, for example to remind attendees to mute themselves when speaking, and only speak when they are asked to. This will prevent participants from arguing or leaving the conference without feeling heard. Before a meeting begins the convenor should inquire of participants if they have technology problems they need help with.

It's also helpful to include the rules for virtual meetings in the board member's orientation materials so that everyone elevating data security best practices has a complete understanding of what's expected of them prior to, during, and following the meeting. It's important, for example, to send out the agenda in advance and then to follow up each day or early in the morning to confirm the details. It is also possible to give the link to the meeting or Zoom to attendees again and remind them about any other preferences you may have (such as the need to ensure that they are able to connect to the meeting in a quiet location to reduce distractions). It is also recommended to include an executive session placeholder to each agenda item and include it at the beginning of the meeting to avoid confusion as to whether there will be an executive session.