Have you ever attended a meeting that lacked focus and direction?

No doubt you thought that was a rhetorical question. More often than not, meetings drift onto strange paths or seemingly hit a dead end. While there are many reasons why this happens, one way to prevent it is straightforward. Never start a meeting without drafting a clear, written agenda.

A vital factor to holding an effective meeting is a pre-planned agenda. In fact, 67% of
respondents in a Flowtrace survey said that having a clear agenda is important to a successful
meeting. It is the responsibility of the person calling the meeting, or the standing committee secretary, to prepare an agenda, ideally for distribution at least a day before the meeting.

Simple agendas have at the top of the document the committee’s name or subject of the meeting, date
and time, and a bullet point list of items to be discussed. If it is a recurring meeting, the date/time/place of the next meeting should be listed at the bottom. The first item of business is for everyone in attendance to agree on the agenda, with an opportunity to add items as needed. Only after this is done should discussion commence on the items listed.

Agendas may contain specific sections, such as approval of prior minutes, depending on
the official status of the meeting. For example, Governing Boards follow local or state rules in
their operations. This means having roll calls, obeying rules of order, and publishing their
agendas in advance to the public. This ensures proper notice for anyone who wishes to attend.

Therefore, the next time you call a meeting, draft an agenda in advance. No doubt you will find the meeting more productive and quicker to complete, resulting in greater satisfaction and success.