Jan 07, 2026
Planning season already stretches leadership teams thin. Budgeting, forecasting, year-end close, and strategy discussions all collide at once. Yet, one of the most underestimated drains on executive time during this period is board preparation.
One full week preparing for a single board meeting, multiplied by four meetings per year, equals an entire month of executive time. That’s an entire month not spent selling to new customers, improving the product, or strengthening the business.
No board wants that outcome. And yet, it happens far more often than most leaders realize.
The Real Cost of "Show and Tell"
Board prep becomes costly when performance is prioritized over transparency.
Instead of reflecting how the business is actually run, data is reformatted to fit a narrative. Slides get rebuilt from scratch. Commentary is rewritten to sound polished. Over time, teams begin working for the board deck instead of working on the business. The issue isn’t information. The issue is relevance.
Many board meetings spend a significant portion of time reviewing historical performance: last month, last quarter, sometimes even numbers that are 60 to 90 days old. By the time these metrics reach the boardroom, they can no longer influence outcomes.
Move the Rear-View Mirror Out of the Boardroom
There’s a more effective alternative: Historical financials and operating results should be reviewed outside of the board meeting. Monthly or quarterly financial update calls—often aligned with the close—allow directors to stay informed without consuming valuable meeting time.
When rearview discussions are removed from the agenda, board meetings naturally become more forward-focused. Time shifts to where forecasts are heading, what risks are emerging, and what decisions leadership needs to make. That’s where boards provide real value.
The 80/20 Rule for Board Decks
A simple heuristic can prevent board prep from spiraling: enter the 80/20 rule.
- At least 80% of the board materials should come directly from the tools leaders already use to run the business. Think financial statements, pipeline dashboards, operating metrics, and internal reports.
- The remaining 20% is where strategy lives. This is the space for questions, tradeoffs, risks, and decisions.
When teams follow this approach, preparation time drops sharply. Executives stop recreating materials, transparency replaces polish, and the board sees the business as it actually operates.
A Simple Time Test for C-Suite Leaders
If it takes more than two to three hours to prepare your portion of the board materials, something is likely off. When preparation stretches longer, it’s often a sign that teams are creating content solely because it’s a board meeting, not because it improves understanding or decision-making.
Left unchecked, this behavior cascades. And if leadership overbuilds materials, other functions will follow.
Evaluating the Meeting > the Deck
At least twice a year, leadership teams should step back and evaluate the meeting itself.
- Did the materials lead to the discussions intended?
- Were decisions made?
- Was the time invested in preparation worth the outcomes achieved?
These conversations should be specific. Asking pointed questions during executive sessions surfaces what’s working and, more importantly, what isn’t.
Board Meetings as a Strategic Asset
Strong board meetings are built on trust, rhythm, and clarity. Directors want transparency into performance, context around challenges, and insight into how leadership is thinking about what’s ahead.
When board preparation reflects this mindset, meetings become more strategic, more productive, and far less burdensome. Time is returned to the leadership team. Energy shifts back to the business.
The board becomes what it’s meant to be: a force multiplier.
