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Master Your Game
This Issue: Designing an Effective Meeting Agenda
Dear Reader,
Summary
An agenda planning session should occur prior to every meeting. Just as an architect wouldn't dream of
showing up at a construction site without a well-thought out design, facilitators need to create their
own blueprints for each session.
Meetings can be a waste of time and energy if no one is prepared and participants are forced to make
decisions without adequate information. Last month, we discussed
meeting management styles.
This month, we discuss the effective agenda.
Use The Agenda As A Strategic Tool
"
Most people think the Agenda is the most important part of a meeting.
WRONG! The agenda is simply a tool to get you to your destination . .
"
To prepare an agenda, here are some quick quidelines*:
- Communicate your objective for the meeting. The purpose of the meeting must be clear and communicated
to participants before the event so that people have time to prepare.
- Clarify the desired outcome for each topic. If the outcome is not defined, people will make
their own assumptions about what they are being asked to accomplish.
As shown in this diagram, designing the agenda
begins with a list of all potential topics and ends with the outcome. Some potential outcomes include
identifying what information needs to be gathered, identifying the criteria for making a decision,
deciding on next steps, or making a final decision.
- Break down discussions if needed. Narrow objectives can be accomplished in a single meeting
while more significant goals take more time. Therefore, if the topic under discussion is significant,
the discussion may need to be broken down into several steps to allow for thoughtful solutions.
- Someone must lead. The person in charge presents the agenda at the meeting and explains the
objectives for each topic item. (See last month's newsletter
for the difference between facilitating and chairing meetings.)
- Manage the agenda. Because plenty of work can be accomplished between meetings, the agenda
does not need to be over crowded in an attempt to get everything done.
Take advantage of time between meetings to:
- Seek input from other parties
- Research
- Move the thinking forward
Remember that a well-designed agenda produces specific, actionable outcomes. Use it wisely and improve
your meeting effectiveness.
Next month, I will talk about the Meeting Process Design.
Wishing you effective meetings,
Jacque Small
*Adapted from a Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making by Sam Kaner, Lenny Lind, Catherine Toldi, Sarah Fisk and Duane Berger
Join Jacque for her newest workshop, Foundations for Effective Meetings. In this half-day event Jacque covers
establishing agreements for meetings, setting objectives, designing the agenda, and making clear decisions.
Effectively leveraging everyone's time will reduce the number of meetings you need to attend. For information on this
new program e-mail info@CatalystCoach.ca.
Catalyst
Business Coaching is a corporate development organization. It
works with people who want to achieve a greater
sense of success for both themselves and others in
the organization. It supports people to develop
strong interpersonal communication skills and build
foundations to develop dynamic teams. Jacque
Small, principal and owner of Catalyst, founded the
company in 2000.
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