Board-Meeting Prep

State the meeting objective and the two or three decisions neededCritical

Separate information updates from actual decisions.

Write the CEO narrative: what changed, what matters, and what needs attentionCritical

Use plain language before slides.

Report prior board action items with owner and status

Carry unfinished items forward explicitly.

Prepare KPI pack with trend, target, variance, and explanationCritical

Show the metrics that change decisions.

Prepare cash, runway, forecast, hiring, revenue, and budget varianceCritical

Reconcile to source systems before circulation.

Prepare customer, retention, pipeline, churn, or delivery health view

Use segment-level data where possible.

Attach one-page memo for every board decisionCritical

Include context, options, recommendation, risks, and requested approval.

Update risk register with owner, severity, mitigation, and board askCritical

Make unresolved risk visible.

Send specific pre-read questions to directors

Ask for targeted input before the meeting.

Lock agenda timing around decisions first

Reserve discussion time for the hardest choices.

Send pre-read far enough ahead for reviewCritical

Avoid using the meeting as first exposure.

Assign owner for minutes, actions, and post-meeting communication

Close the loop within one business day when possible.

Narrative