Run a Board Meeting Decision

This guide walks you through using Decisio to manage decisions during a board or committee meeting. By the end, you'll have a complete audit trail of what was discussed, who voted, and what was decided.

Use Case

Board meetings require formal record-keeping. Minutes must capture motions, voting outcomes, and resolutions. Decisio digitises this process, creating timestamped, immutable records that satisfy audit and compliance requirements.

Prerequisites

• An active Decisio workspace with your board members invited

• Admin or Member role in the workspace

• Agenda items prepared for the meeting

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before the Meeting

1. Create Issues for Each Agenda Item

For each agenda item requiring a decision:

1. Navigate to your workspace

2. Click New Issue

3. Enter a clear title that frames the decision needed (e.g., "Approve Q1 Financial Statements")

4. Add context in the description:

   • Background information

   • Key considerations

   • Any deadlines or constraints

5. Click Create

2. Attach Supporting Documents as Exhibits

For each issue, attach relevant evidence:

1. Open the issue

2. Click Add Exhibit

3. Choose the exhibit type:

   • File for documents (financial reports, proposals)

   • Link for external resources

   • Text for brief notes or summaries

4. Add a descriptive title

5. Click Save

Exhibits are immutable once created. This ensures the evidence considered in a decision cannot be altered after the fact.

3. Invite Participants (If Required)

If external stakeholders need to participate:

1. Open the issue

2. Click Invite Participant

3. Enter their email address

4. Click Send Invitation

See Invite External Stakeholders for detailed instructions.

During the Meeting

4. Open Each Issue for Discussion

As you work through the agenda:

1. Open the relevant issue

2. Use Comments to record key discussion points

3. Encourage board members to add their perspectives

5. Propose a Motion

When ready to formalise a decision:

1. Click Propose Motion

2. Enter a clear, actionable title (e.g., "That the Board approves the Q1 Financial Statements as presented")

3. Add any relevant details in the body

4. Click Submit

Write motions as clear action statements. Good motion: "Approve the 2026 operating budget of $1.2M." Poor motion: "Budget discussion."

6. Configure the Voting Mechanism

Set up how the motion will be resolved:

1. Open the motion

2. Click Configure Mechanism

3. Select the resolution type:

   • Vote for formal voting with aye/nay

   • Consensus for agree/object approach

   • Chair Decides when the chair has authority

4. Set the vote threshold (majority, supermajority, or unanimous)

5. Configure quorum requirements if applicable

6. Click Save

7. Second the Motion (If Required)

If your governance procedures require seconding:

1. Another board member opens the motion

2. Clicks Second Motion

3. The motion advances to voting

8. Collect Votes

Once voting opens:

1. Each participant opens the motion

2. Reviews the proposal

3. Clicks their choice: Aye, Nay, Abstain, or Recuse

4. Optionally adds a justification

Abstain means "I'm present but choose not to vote" and counts toward quorum. Recuse means "I have a conflict of interest" and is excluded from quorum calculations.

9. Review the Outcome

Once voting concludes:

1. Open the motion to see the result

2. View the vote breakdown

3. The system determines the outcome based on your configured threshold

After the Meeting

10. Record the Resolution

For each decided issue:

1. Open the issue

2. Click Record Resolution

3. Write a summary of what was decided

4. Reference the motion outcome

5. Cite relevant exhibits

6. Click Save Resolution

Resolutions are immutable once recorded. Review carefully before saving. If corrections are needed later, you can record a superseding resolution that references the original.

11. Close the Issue

1. Open the resolved issue

2. Click Close Issue

3. The issue moves to closed status with full audit trail intact

Tips and Best Practices

• Prepare issues in advance: Create all issues before the meeting so you can move efficiently through the agenda

• Use exhibits consistently: Attach all relevant documents so the audit trail is complete

• Write clear motions: Future reviewers should understand what was decided without additional context

• Record resolutions promptly: Document decisions while the meeting is fresh

• Archive completed work: Regularly archive closed issues to keep your workspace organised

Related Guides

• Conduct a Committee Vote - Detailed voting configuration

• Create an Audit Trail - Understanding the audit record

• Invite External Stakeholders - Adding non-members to specific decisions