What You Should Include in a Meeting Agenda

An agenda can be thought of as a meeting plan. It’s an overview of the topics that will be discussed and in what order. A meeting agenda can follow a formal format or it can be very simple, depending on the meeting’s purpose and the needs of your business or team. For example the agendas of a board meeting, seminar,  presentation or conference tend to be very different. However, the goal in each of these occasions is the same: to inform participants about the topics that will be covered in order to facilitate the meeting process.

When used effectively an agenda can be a great tool for keeping meetings focused, and more importantly, short. But what should you include in a meeting agenda and what is the best way to make one?

Create your agenda with time so that you can plan accordingly, including where and when the meeting will take place. The appropriate place depends on the type of meeting you plan on having and the people who will be attending, either in person or virtually. The best way to cover all the variables is to book a fully equipped meeting room with high speed internet.

It is also important to clearly define the objectives of the meeting. This is a brief summary of what will be discussed and should be stated at the top of the agenda.  

The next thing is to determine all topics and issues that will be discussed during this meeting. Break down these items and allot a specific amount of time to each of them; keep in mind that some topics require more time than others, which is why you should remain flexible if a topic runs over or one takes less time to wrap up. Doing this will enable a more focused discussion.

Other than including the time for each item, you should also include who is responsible for presenting each topic. Think about how each attendee will present his or her points and what tools and resources they need for that to happen. Think whether you will need a LCD screen, projector, or even video conference capabilities?

Make sure you leave some time to have a meeting review, or for questions.

Last but not least, you should share the agenda with all participants a few days before the meeting.

By following this simple guide you will have a great meeting agenda that is both clear and effective.

About Andrés Sanjose

Andrés Sanjose is a writer and editor based in Guatemala. He previously lived in Berlin for 10 years where he witnessed the birth and amazing evolution of the Virtual Office phenomenon, while working as a freelancer in the german capital. He is very interested in what the future holds for this exciting industry and loves to write about it.