Transforming Cabinet Meetings

Webinar recap: Heather Fehn, chief of staff at The College of New Jersey, and Matt Maxwell, senior consultant at AGB OnBoard, explored how to streamline cabinet meetings and improve alignment across executive leadership teams.

Cabinet meetings offer an important opportunity for members to engage in meaningful conversations and make impactful decisions that move the organization forward. But all too often, these gatherings are weighed down by inefficient processes, unfocused agendas, and fragmented communication.

So how can organizations make cabinet meetings more effective, strategic, and engaging?

In a recent AGB webinar, Heather Fehn, chief of staff at The College of New Jersey, and Matt Maxwell, senior consultant at AGB OnBoard, shared practical insights on how to streamline cabinet meetings and improve alignment across executive leadership teams. Their conversation explored:

• Common challenges in coordinating cabinet meetings.
• Strategies to improve cabinet communication and efficiency.
• Tools and best practices to support decision-making and leadership planning.

Read on for five key takeaways from this engaging discussion.

1. Cabinet Meetings Level the Playing Field

Not all cabinet members have the same amount of face time with the president. Some members may work in the same office as the president and have weekly one-on-one meetings, while others interact less frequently.

“That can create dynamics where some cabinet members have more information than others,” Fehn noted. “As chief of staff, it’s really important for me to be aware of those differences and work to balance them.”

Regular, well-structured cabinet meetings can help level the playing field. They provide an opportunity for the president to communicate directly with the entire cabinet, ensuring everyone is aligned.

“Cabinet meetings are an opportunity to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Fehn said. “Everyone is around the table, and the president is sharing the same information across the entire cabinet.”

2. Structure Is Key—But So Is Flexibility

Effective cabinet meetings rely on thoughtful planning and informed participants. Fehn’s team uses a consistent structure for cabinet meetings so members know what to expect and come to meetings prepared.

At the same time, flexibility is essential. Adapting the structure to reflect evolving priorities helps ensure cabinet meetings are relevant and productive.

“It’s important to allow for change,” Fehn said. “Don’t get too bogged down or become too rigid over the structure of an agenda.”

3. Agenda Creation Is Foundational

Preparation is key to a successful cabinet meeting, and it all starts with a well-crafted agenda.

While a strong agenda is foundational, creating one isn’t always easy.

“If you go to all your cabinet colleagues, you’ll likely have an agenda that’s five hours long when you only have two allotted,” Fehn said. “It’s really important to make sure that we, as chiefs of staff, are monitoring this.”

Throughout the week of preparation, cabinet members bring proposed agenda items to Fehn, and she maintains a running list. She may also add emerging issues that warrant discussion but aren’t yet on members’ minds.

Prior to the meeting, Fehn meets with the president to finalize the agenda. “Because I’ve been talking with cabinet members throughout the course of the week, I know what things are most pressing,” she explained. “It’s really important that I help the president prioritize.”

Fehn also offered a caveat: Sometimes agenda item requests are driven by a desire to avoid conflict. “Cabinet members will sometimes ask for something to go on the agenda as a way of avoiding conflict—either within the group or with the president,” she said.

In such cases, Fehn may recommend addressing these issues privately rather than involving the entire group. “I might make that recommendation and alert the president to what may be going on in terms of the dynamics within the group,” she said.

4. Cabinet Dynamics Are Always in Flux

Cabinet dynamics aren’t static. Instead, they shift continually—especially when there’s a change in group composition.

“Any time one seat around the table changes, the entire dynamic for the group changes,” Fehn said. “It’s important to pay attention to that up front.”

Fehn uses a new cabinet member checklist to manage these transitions. For starters, every new cabinet member is encouraged to meet one-on-one with each cabinet colleague. They also receive access to AGB OnBoard, the digital board portal where all cabinet information and institutional resources are housed.

“As new cabinet members come in, I can provide them with past information so they can see agendas and what outcomes have come out of discussions,” Fehn said. “This brings them up to speed much more quickly.”

Frequently referenced materials—including strategic planning documents and rosters—are organized in a resource folder within the board portal, making them easily accessible when needed.

“I’m a big proponent of having a board portal for trustees and cabinet members to access information,” Fehn said. “I’ve been using AGB OnBoard for a number of years now.”

5. Technology Enhances Cabinet Efficiency and Impact

Cabinet meetings are an opportunity to engage in discussions and make impactful decisions. But outdated processes often hinder collaboration and productivity.

A board portal like AGB OnBoard streamlines processes and provides members with a single source of truth for all information and meeting materials. To see how OnBoard has transformed board meetings for various institutions, explore its case studies.

“Trustees can go into the portal, get the information they want, and get out,” Fehn said.

Centralizing information not only simplifies access but also encourages better preparation. “If the materials are there and the cabinet members are reviewing them prior to the meeting, it saves time in the meeting because they’re coming prepared,” Fehn explained. “That has created efficiency for us.”

The right technology also supports customized access, helping to ensure cabinet members get the information they need—no more and no less. “Not everyone in my cabinet has access to all the same information,” Fehn said. “There are times when we need to lock down information, and with a product like AGB OnBoard, you can do that down to the specific document.”

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and it’s important to find one that fits your unique needs. “You’ve got to do what works for you and for your institution,” Fehn concluded. “[AGB OnBoard] has been what has worked for us.”

Interested in learning more about how AGB OnBoard can support your board?

Explore the platform with a self-guided demo to see how it streamlines meetings for higher education, centralizes resources, and empowers better decision-making at every level of your institution. For a deeper dive into what to look for in a board portal, download OnBoard’s comprehensive Board Management Software Buyer’s Guide.

Matthew Maxwell is a senior consultant at AGB OnBoard with over a decade of experience. He has held roles in business development and played a key role in launching the AGB-OnBoard partnership.