Why SME board meetings often feel busy, but not effective

Many SME boards work hard. Papers are read. Updates are thorough. Time is tight.

Yet the meeting ends and the same questions linger:

Did we really make the key decisions?

Did we challenge the right things?

Are we clearer than we were two hours ago?

In SMEs, board effectiveness is rarely undermined by lack of commitment. More often, it’s undermined by how time is used.

A common pattern:

Too much reporting, too late in the agenda

Strategic issues squeezed into the final 20 minutes

Decisions implied rather than clearly made

Actions agreed, but ownership left vague

None of this feels dramatic. Which is why it persists.

Effective SME boards tend to do a few simple things consistently:

They distinguish clearly between information and decision items. Not everything needs discussion.

They protect time for judgement. The most important topics are discussed when energy is highest.

They are explicit about decisions. What was decided, what assumptions were accepted, and what remains open.

They record accountability properly. Not just actions, but who owns outcomes.

For Chairs and NEDs, the challenge is often restraint by letting management present less, asking sharper questions, and being willing to pause the meeting to clarify what actually needs deciding, rather than intervention

Good governance in SMEs isn’t about importing heavyweight processes.

It’s about making sure the board’s limited time is spent where it adds the most value: direction, judgement, and accountability.

If a board meeting feels full but unsatisfying, that’s usually a signal worth paying attention to.