Tips for issuing a productive meeting agenda

Issuing an agenda is essential preparation for organising a successful meeting. Agendas are important for a number of reasons:

• It sets expectations and responsibilities

• Allows you to allocate and manage time

• Identifies what topics need to be covered

• Prepares attendees and encourages discussion

What to include in a meeting agenda

A meeting agenda should incorporate the following elements:

• The purpose of the meeting. This will communicate to all those attending the objective that the meeting is aiming to achieve.

• The topics to be discussed. Each topic should be numbered with a brief description of what the topic is to cover. If applicable each topic should have a time allocated that can indicate the importance of the topic and help guide attendees at the meeting.

• Logistics. Who will attend and where the meeting will be held. If this is offsite make it clear the arrangements for those attending.

• Support documents. Provide any support information with the Agenda to allow attendees to prepare efficiently to encourage meaningful and productive discussions based on fact at the meeting.

• Question time. Allocate time towards the end of the meeting for attendees to raise questions to clarify their understanding and share their perspective. It is not uncommon for this element to draw out important points that may have been missed in the meeting.

Tips for issuing a good meeting agenda

1. Note the objective for calling the meeting

It seems so obvious but invariably a meeting will be called that leaves attendees feeling afterwards that it was a waste of time and nothing was achieved for the time they had invested. If you have a clear objective for the meeting then communicate this on the agenda so that everyone understands why the meeting is being held. It is also a means of showing respect for the time and effort being asked of those attending.

2. Ask attendees for their input

Ahead of issuing the agenda ask those that you are intending to invite to the meeting for their input as to what should be discussed at the meeting. This way you are ensuring that everything that needs to be discussed makes its way on to the discussion items. This should result in more engagement and buy in from those attending.

3. Share responsibilities for leading topic discussions

It is common for individuals who you have invited to the meeting to have a deeper knowledge of the topic than you or your facilitator. To reflect this and to make the most of the time, make them the lead for the discussion on the topic and annotate this on the agenda. It will highlight to them that they are leading the topic and should bring with them the necessary information to share with the other attendees.

4. Leave time for questions

If you have limited time for the meeting then suggest to the attendees that they ask questions at the end and not during the meeting. This will mean that your agenda needs to leave sufficient time for questions. It will also alleviate any distractions and keep the meeting on track. Even if you are not limited by time, having a question time at the end of your meeting provides the opportunity for attendees to clarify their understanding so that there is no confusion post meeting as to what was discussed and agreed.

By sticking to an agenda you can ensure that you have a reliable anchor point and tool that does the job – before, during and after your meeting.