Encyclopedia of Leadership

11.6

THE MEETING AGENDA:

WHY, WHAT, AND HOW

Inspired by Antony Jay and M.M. Milstein.

A well-planned agenda speeds up meetings and helps ensure that meaningful results are

achieved. This tool provides useful tips and an application framework for preparing effective

meeting agendas.

SECTION 11 TOOLS FORLEADINGMEETINGS 353

✔ to define the purpose of the meeting

✔ to plan meeting content and flow

✔ to define results expected and assign responsibilities for each agenda item

✔ to keep the meeting on track

✔ to organize meeting minutes

The purpose of the meeting agenda

The meeting agenda:

➠Clarifies the purpose and the outcomes expected from the meeting. [☛2.6 Clarifying Purpose, 2.7 Goal

Statements]

➠Lists the meeting date, start and end times, and location.

➠Lists the meeting participants and roles (e.g., chairperson, recorder).

➠For each item on the agenda, notes the outcome being sought, who has responsibility for the item, and the time

allotted for each item.

➠Clarifies premeeting requirements and responsibilities. (Attach background reading as appropriate.)

The elements of the meeting agenda

❑ Note the reason for each topic on the agenda (e.g., information sharing, information gathering, decision making,

problem solving).

❑ Order agenda items by importance, and place in logical sequence (e.g., don’t discuss the timetable for moving offices

until it’s agreed that budget funds are available to make the move this year). [☛13.5 Time Management]

❑ Don’t allow the group to waste time on an urgent but unimportant or trivial agenda item, to the exclusion of a non-

urgent but important item. This is when it really pays to put times on the agenda and stick to them.

❑ Organize the agenda so items that ought to be kept brief are introduced 10 or 15 minutes prior to lunch or some

such break.

❑ Don’t list a category called Other Business. This is little more than an invitation to waste time. This doesn’t mean

that, in an emergency, an extra agenda item cannot be added, nor does it prevent your including time for

unstructured discussion after the meeting has ended.

❑ Aim for 1-hour meetings, 2 hours at the most. Effectiveness usually decreases after 2 hours.

❑ Pay attention to which items tend to unite or divide the group. Sequence these items appropriately. For example,

you may want to start and end the meeting on a positive note. [☛8.3 Organizational Communication, 8.6

Communication 101, 10.5 Group Disturbances]

Guidelines for working with the meeting agenda