How to Create a Meeting Agenda That Works

Any type of meeting can be a greater success if an agenda is created and followed. By following five simple steps and using the 3T's rule of Time, Topic, and Talker for meeting agendas, the chances of having an effective meeting where real work gets accomplished are increased.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen or Pencil

1. Before scheduling a meeting, start by determining the meeting purpose. Write it down as one or two sentences stating the reason for the meeting or what are to be the results from the meeting. This purpose should be shared with those invited to the meeting.

2. Once the purpose is known, it should be easy to list all the actions that must be done in the meeting in order to accomplish that purpose. These actions will become the TOPIC portion of the meeting agenda by listing them in a logical order. These Topic items should be written using action words like discuss, review, brainstorm, decide, assign, or report so there is no confusion on what is to be done. Having the action words along with the item will help the group or presenters understand what is expected of them during each agenda topic. When listing the items on the agenda, make sure the most important items are first so they get done before the meeting ends.

3. Now next to each topic on the agenda place the TIME. This time will begin with the actual start and end clock time for the meeting and clock times for each topic item on the agenda using time increments of 10-15 minutes (Examples: 9:00-9:10, 10:15-10:30, 11:30-11:50, etc.) Having the actual time on the agenda helps keep the meeting on track by allowing the group to track their progress. If keeping on time is really important, then you may want to list it before the Topic on the final agenda.

4. To finish creating the agenda, list the assigned TALKER for each topic item. The Talker is the person(s) responsible for each item listed on the agenda, such as a presenter or facilitator. This is the person who will lead that portion of the meeting to give information or facilitate processes. For items that require the entire group to actively participate, such as discussion or decision-making, the talker could be listed as "All".

5. If possible, provide the final agenda to meeting invitees prior to the meeting. Be sure to open your meeting with a review of the agenda and have everyone agree to the agenda before continuing with the meeting. Having agreement to the agenda will make it easier to bring the group back on track if they begin to stray from the agenda.

Tips & Warnings

• The 3T's are adapted from the Agenda chapter of the book "R.A!R.A! A Meeting Wizard's Approach" by Shirley Fine Lee, copyright 2007. RARA is an acronym for the four key components of productive and effective meetings: Roles, Agenda, Records, and Actions.

Resources

• Meeting Tips
• Assign Meeting Action Items That Get Done