Every board I’ve sat on in recent memory has grappled with the issues raised in this article.
I always ask, at my first meeting, what the consensus on sharing discussions is, and how widely the minutes will be distributed. I have a strong personal belief in 100% transparency but I know enough from the conversations that have resulted to know not everyone shares that belief, and that some feel that the prospect of transparency inhibits free-flowing discussion.
See also Chatham House Rule and PEI Home and School Federation board minutes (which we publish online after they are approved at the following meeting).
