Before the vote: a one-page checklist

A prompt for the chair and chief executive to consider what directors need before an important decision.

One page
Fillable PDF
Free for boards and their staff

When this helps

An important vote is coming, and you want to know what still needs attention.

The best moment to notice an unclear recommendation or an unresolved authority question is before the meeting. This short checklist gives the chair and chief executive a shared way to look at the proposal without adding another long paper to the packet.

What’s inside

One page. Three checks before the vote.

01
Four views of readiness
Review the proposal through Strategy, Oversight, Accountability, and Risk.
SOAR
02
Questions that can change the conversation
Check whether alternatives, evidence, conditions, and follow-through are visible to the people deciding.
03
Space for what remains open
Write down the conversation still needed and who will help resolve it.

Putting it to work

Use it before the packet goes out.

Review it together
The chair and chief executive look through the proposal before it goes into the board packet.
Talk through what’s unchecked
An unchecked item is a prompt for discussion. Decide whether the gap matters to the choice the board is being asked to make.
Follow up on what matters
Agree what needs more attention and who can help. Bring that understanding into the meeting.

Download the checklist

Bring it to your next board conversation.

Use the checklist with the people closest to the proposal. It gives the questions that still need attention somewhere to go.

A practical starting point for your board
Free for boards and their staff