agendIQ
TemplatesPricing
Sign inStart free

Product

  • Agenda builder
  • Live meetings
  • Video calls
  • Presentations
  • Team and calendar
  • Notes for everyone

Free tools

  • Agenda maker
  • Online timer
  • Wheel spinner
  • Team generator
  • Word cloud generator
  • AI quiz generator
  • Meeting cost calculator
  • Meeting games
  • Guides
  • All free tools
  • Templates
  • Pricing
Sign inStart free

Free forever · Pro free for 14 days. No card needed.

  1. Home/
  2. Templates/
  3. Board executive session agenda
AgendaLeadershipBoard & governance

Board executive session agenda

40 minutes 7 blockspro Runs with Pro

A 40-minute closed board session: the motion with its stated purpose, who stays in the room, each item, and guidance on keeping minutes minimal.

Use this template See inside

Free to open and edit. Running it live needs Pro, free for 14 days on every new account.

Share
40 min · 7 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Motion to go into executive session, with its general purpose, 2 minutes 2
  2. Confirm who stays in the room, 2 minutes 2
  3. Item 1, for example the CEO's performance and pay, 12 minutesDiscuss 12
  4. Item 2, for example a legal or personnel matter with counsel, 10 minutesDiscuss 10
  5. Sense of the board on next steps, 3 minutes 3
  6. What will be recorded, and any action to take in open session, 6 minutesDecide 6
  7. Motion to return to open session; record the time, 5 minutes 5
010203040 min
  1. +0′Motion to go into executive session, with its general purposeTip: Made in the open meeting. Public bodies and many associations must state the legal reason, for example litigation, personnel or contract negotiations. Record the motion and vote in the open minutes.2 minInfo
  2. +2′Confirm who stays in the roomTip: Usually board members only. Invite the CEO, auditor or counsel for specific items and excuse them afterwards. Keep counsel present for any item that relies on attorney-client privilege.2 minInfo
  3. +4′Item 1, for example the CEO's performance and payTip: Replace with your item. Stay on the stated purpose; anything else goes back to the open meeting.12 minDiscuss
  4. +16′Item 2, for example a legal or personnel matter with counsel10 minDiscuss
  5. +26′Sense of the board on next stepsWhere do you stand on the proposed next step?Tip: A straw poll to test agreement. Public bodies generally must take final action in open session; check your open meetings law or bylaws.3 minVote
  6. +29′What will be recorded, and any action to take in open sessionTip: Agree the minimal record: date, time, who attended, the general subject and any action taken, not the discussion. Some laws require noting the general nature of the matters in the next open minutes.6 minDecide
  7. +35′Motion to return to open session; record the timeTip: Announce in open session that the board met in executive session and, where required, any action taken.5 minWrap-up

In short

An executive session is the part of a board meeting held in private, with only board members and invited guests, to discuss confidential matters such as litigation, personnel or the CEO's review. This 40-minute agenda covers the motion, who stays, each item, a straw poll and what the minutes should record.
Time
40 minutes
People
Board members, invited advisors
Minutes
Attendance, subject, actions only
Plan
Pro

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

By the end of this meeting, the board has discussed its confidential items candidly, agreed any next steps, and recorded only what the minutes need. The full agenda is drawn to scale above: every block has its own timer when you run it live.

How to run it

  1. 1List the executive session on the published agenda with its general purpose, and confirm what your bylaws or open meetings law allow.
  2. 2Decide beforehand who will be invited for which item, and tell them when to step out.
  3. 3Keep discussion to the stated purpose. Anything outside it goes back to the open meeting.
  4. 4Keep minutes minimal: who attended, the subject and any action. Under Robert's Rules, executive session minutes are read and approved only in executive session.
  5. 5Don't circulate the detailed summary beyond the board. Record the outcome, not the conversation.

Questions people ask

What is a board executive session?
A closed portion of a board meeting where only board members, and anyone they invite, discuss confidential matters. Common topics are the CEO's performance and pay, litigation, personnel and contract negotiations.
What goes in executive session minutes?
As little as possible: the date, time, who was present, the general subject and any action taken. Robert's Rules says these minutes are read and approved only in executive session.
What can an HOA board discuss in executive session?
It depends on your state law and governing documents. California's Davis-Stirling Act, for example, allows litigation, third-party contracts, member discipline, personnel matters and a member's request about assessment payments.

Run it with your group

pro
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
Use this template

Free to open and edit. Running it live needs Pro, free for 14 days on every new account.

Goes well with

All agendas

  • Board meeting · Q3

    Pre-read and meeting deck

    studioPresentation·Leadership
    Board presentation templateA board deck that works as a pre-read: CEO summary, metrics, risks and asks, then a live ranking of discussion topics and a decisions slide with a straw poll. 60 min 15 slides
    • Call to order and introduction of directors and officers3′
    • Inspector of elections and proof of notice2′
    • Report on quorum: shares present in person or by proxy2′
    • Approval of the minutes of the last annual meeting2′
    FreeAgenda·Legal
    Annual shareholder meetingA 60-minute annual meeting of shareholders in the usual order: notice and quorum, proposals and polls, preliminary results, the CEO's report and Q&A. 60 min
    • Arrivals: one word for how you feel about the family busines5′
    • Purpose, ground rules and confidentiality5′
    • Actions from the last council5′
    • Business update from the board or CEO, for family owners15′
    proAgenda·Any team
    Family business council meetingA two-hour family business council: business update, a family constitution review, next-generation updates, succession and an anonymous values vote. 120 min
    • Purpose and the decisions needed today3′
    • Actions and decisions from last time5′
    • Status by exception: amber and red workstreams only10′
    • Confidence in the next milestone2′
    FreeAgenda·Leadership
    Steering committee meeting agendaA monthly steerco that runs on decisions, not status: RAG by exception, a confidence vote, decisions, risks and change requests in 60 minutes. 60 min
    • Call to order, attendance and quorum2′
    • Approve the agenda and last meeting's minutes2′
    • Action items from the last meeting5′
    • Chair's update and anything referred by the board5′
    FreeAgenda·Any team
    Committee meeting agendaA chair-led 60-minute committee meeting for any organization: actions, member reports, the main business, motions with votes and a report back to the board. 60 min
    • How is your team doing this week?3′
    • Scorecard: weekly numbers, off-track only7′
    • Last week's commitments: done or not done5′
    • Company priorities: on or off track5′
    FreeAgenda·Leadership
    Leadership team meeting agendaA weekly 60-minute leadership meeting: scorecard by exception, priorities, an issues list solved in order, and one message every leader cascades. 60 min
    • Purpose and the decisions we need today3′
    • Actions from last month's review5′
    • Metrics narrative: silent reading10′
    • Variance review: plan against actual, by exception25′
    proAgenda·Leadership
    Monthly business review (MBR)A 90-minute MBR: a written metrics narrative read first, variance by exception, forecast confidence, one deep dive and actions with owners. 90 min
    • Call to order1′
    • Opening ceremonies and roll call, if your organization uses 3′
    • Reading and approval of the minutes4′
    • Reports of officers, boards and standing committees12′
    FreeAgenda·Nonprofits
    Robert's Rules meeting agendaThe standard order of business under Robert's Rules, with the chair's wording and the six steps of a motion in the notes, plus a ballot-style vote. 60 min

Open it, make it yours, run it live.

Change anything in the editor. When you're ready, press Present: everyone joins with a scan and answers on their phone.

  • Free forever
  • Pro free for 14 days
  • No card needed
  • Guests never need an account
Use this template More agendas
agendIQ

Meetings are boring. Let's make them fun. Plan the agenda, run it live with a call that follows it, and leave with decisions.

Product

  • Plan a meeting
  • How it works
  • Video calls
  • Interactive presentations
  • Meeting timer
  • Pricing
  • Join with a code
  • Sign in

Templates

  • Presentation templates
  • Games & quizzes
  • Workshop templates
  • Meeting kits
  • Weekly team meeting agenda
  • Retrospective meeting agenda
  • 1:1 meeting agenda
  • All 507 templates

Free tools

  • AI agenda maker
  • Meeting cost calculator
  • Video meetings
  • All free tools
  • Online timer
  • Wheel spinner
  • Random team generator
  • Word cloud generator
  • AI quiz generator

Guides

  • Meeting games & icebreakers
  • How to write a meeting agenda
  • How to run effective meetings
  • Meeting minutes & action items

Compare

  • Mentimeter alternative
  • Slido alternative
  • Free video calls compared
  • Google Meet alternative
  • Zoom alternative
  • Miro alternative
  • Otter.ai alternative
  • Kahoot alternatives
  • Gamma alternative

Trust

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Calls are never recorded
  • Votes stay anonymous
  • Data stored in the EU
© 2026 Agendiq30 sectors · 507 templates · Participants never need an account