How can boards of directors get better at helping companies thrive over the long term? As the business world becomes more complex and uncertain, the board’s remit is growing apace. At public companies, directors can meet this challenging moment by taking some cues from their counterparts at an increasing number of organizations that are backed by private equity (PE). This week, we look at which practices public-company boards can adopt from the PE playbook to increase their effectiveness and impact on the organizations they serve.

MAKE MEETINGS MEAN MORE

The need for more meaningful meetings isn’t just for board gatherings—it’s an ever-present issue throughout organizations. McKinsey’s Aaron De Smet, Gregor Jost, and Leigh Weiss offer some timeless tips on planning more effective meetings to produce better business decisions. They recommend that leaders pose three key questions to evaluate meetings. First, do you even need to meet? “Removing superfluous meetings is perhaps the single biggest gift to an executive’s productivity,” the authors say. “Start by examining your recurring meetings, as these are a fertile place for otherwise useful and timely decision topics to mutate in unproductive ways.” Second, is the meeting for sharing information, having discussions, or making decisions? Finally, what is everyone’s role? “Just as it’s crucial for meetings to have a clear purpose and for attendees to know whether they’re meant to be debating or deciding, it is equally important to know who makes the [final] call,” the authors say.

Lead by enabling boards to create value.