How to Create Agendas

Whether you're about to have a big business meeting or are planning a small meeting with your family, an agenda is an important tool to have at your disposal. It keeps everyone on the same page and creates order where there could easily be chaos. When you create an agenda, always write it down and distribute copies to each attendee so that there is little to no confusion about the direction of the meeting.

Things You'll Need

• Word processing program like Microsoft Word or Works

Instructions

1. Open a Microsoft Word document to create your agenda. This program has easy-to-use features that will allow you set up the agenda in a bulleted format.

2. Type in "Meeting Agenda" at the top of the page using a large, bold font.

3. Create a title for the meeting on the next line, such as "Bake Sale Committee" or "Advertising Planning Session." Then write in the date and time of the meeting on the next line.

4. Create the following basic sections: introduction, meeting minutes, committee reports, new business and ideas, announcements and wrap up. Add and delete general sections that apply to your specific meeting. Outline the time period that will be spent on each section (such as Introduction 10-10:15 a.m., Committee Reports 11-12 p.m., and so on).

5. Open the meeting with your introduction. State the purpose of the meeting and what you plan to accomplish by the end.

6. List "meeting minutes" under another section (if applicable), and ask the secretary to read the minutes from the last meeting for approval by the attendees.

7. List each committee that has a report to present at the meeting. For example, "Finance Report" and "Fundraising Committee Report."

8. Create a section in your agenda to discuss new business and ideas. List each member who has a point to address in this section along with the general topic that the member will be discussing.

9. Include an announcement section to keep meeting members informed about special events and news.

10. Close the meeting in the wrap-up section. Reiterate important actionable points and duties that are required of each member. Ask for any relevant closing comments. Confirm the next meeting date with all attendees.

Tips & Warnings

• Appoint a neutral and well-respected person to act as a parliamentarian. This person will preside over the agenda, keep the meeting in order and end conversations that go on for too long. Each section must be wrapped up in the time designated to keep the agenda on track.

Resources

• Sample agenda
• Purpose of parliamentarians
• Roberts Rules of Order for meetings made simple