I have been looking at my meeting calendar recently and realized something. I have no idea what half of the meetings are about. I just know I am supposed to show up and that is about it. When I do get there someone just starts talking about stuff. Do I know who this person is? Do I know why I am there? Do I even know what this mysterious stuff is? Hmmm… I think it’s time for my handy dandy sheet of scratch paper and the para-trooping bunnies.

I think sometimes we miss a step and assume that just by calling a meeting a naming it “Meeting to Talk About Stuff”, that it will be enough information to conduct a productive and effective meeting. We need to take a step back and address one of the most important elements, the meeting agenda.

Understanding the Meeting Agenda
The meeting agenda is the framework that helps a meeting run effectively and efficiently. It is a step-by-step outline of what will be covered in a meeting.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of an effective meeting agenda:

• First, the meeting agenda lets the team know what will be discussed and when.
• It serves as a checklist to ensure all of the information is covered.
• The meeting agenda provides focus when the objective has been clearly thought out and communicated.
• It makes effective use of the team’s time by ensuring adequate consideration of all issues, events and projects.
• When distributed before a meeting it gives the team an opportunity to come prepared for the discussion.
• And It keeps the discussion focused and on track.

Steps to Creating the Meeting Agenda

1. Figure out what you hope to accomplish with your meeting
   (Set Your Meeting Objectives)
2. Consider who should attend the meeting
3. Decide the actions to be taken during the meeting
4. Figure out how much time to spend on each topic
5. Distribute the Agenda

What should go into the Meeting Agenda
Remember to provide all participants with an agenda before the meeting starts. A meeting agenda should always include:

• who is attending the meeting
• the date and time
• meeting location
• the meeting name. Think about how you label the event, so people come in with that mindset.
• a brief description of the meeting objectives
• the topics for discussion. Be descriptive and include the type of action needed or the type of output expected, i.e. decide, vote, assign, create
• the presenter or discussion leader for each topic
• the time allotment for each topic
• any background information that your team members will need to hold an informed discussion on the meeting topics
• and space for any additional information or notes

Understanding the key concepts behind effective meeting agendas and the added benefit of creating them should help your next meeting start off on the right path.  Remember the agenda is the framework and structure for you meeting and the stronger the foundation the better the result.