Attending annual gatherings of companies and organizations can on many occasions become boring which is regretted by most. Quite a few gatherings tend to exceed the time scheduled for a meeting and frustrate the attendees because they don’t always provide any valuable information.
The primary reason for this problem occurring time and again is because the company has not considered drafting an annual agenda for the meeting.
Companies conducting their annual meetings need to outline the topics they intend to discuss and even print and distribute the agenda to members who are invited to attend.
Handing over the agenda for the annual meeting at the last moment did not serve any purpose because the invitees need to be provided some time to prepare themselves to raise any questions they may have in mind.
For unexplained reasons many companies ignore preparing an annual agenda and lose an opportunity to keep the invitees attentive to the important details which may be discussed. A meeting without an agenda does not serve any purpose especially when the organizers of the meeting have no idea about the subjects they intend to discuss with the attendees. An annual agenda for the meeting, on the other hand, is capable of providing the upcoming gathering a purpose.
The agenda of the meeting must be drafted professionally, and the best way to go ahead is to ensure that it is prepared comprehensively.
The lack of an agenda gives attendees an opportunity to waste time as they try to figure out the subject which will be discussed at the gathering. This can easily be avoided by creating the agenda for the meeting and writing down the topics regardless of whether they are important or insignificant. The agenda will ensure that sufficient time is allotted for every subject and eliminate wastage of time.
Features of an Annual Agenda
- The annual agenda must have a topic for discussion.
- The annual agenda must eliminate guesswork and look forward to keeping everyone focused on the precise subject of the discussion.
- The topic of the discussion should be reviewed.
- The desired outcome of the meeting must be discussed.
Companies and organizations of different types hold annual meetings for various reasons. The agenda of one organization may not be similar to the other depending on why the meeting is being held.
A meeting for shareholders is likely to be different from a meeting to elect board members, and therefore every organization will have a customized agenda for the meeting they have planned. However, it is essential to follow the principles mentioned above failing which the meeting is unlikely to serve its purpose.
Example of Annual Agenda for a Meeting of Shareholders
Annual Meeting of Shareholders Of [Name of the Company],
[Date and Time of the Meeting],
A. Meeting Called to Order.
1. Introductions.
2. Instructions on Rules of Conduct and Procedures.
3. Providing Proof of Notice of Meeting.
4. Announcing whether the Quorum is present or not.
B. Presenting Proposals and Discussing Them.
1. Proposal M1 — Election of Directors [List Names of Director Nominees],
2. Proposal M2 — Ratification of Auditors,
3. Other Proposals [Description of Additional Proposals by the Management]
Shareholders must be invited to make comments or ask questions about the proposals which are presented by the rules of conduct. Questions and answers should be left for the final moments until the general q & a session is held after the closing of the polls.
C. Voting.
1. The opening of the Polls.
[If shareholders intend to vote at the meeting proxy cards or ballots must be requested, and statements must also be made that voting is not compulsory unless the shareholder is participating for the first time or wants to intimate changes in a previous vote],
2. Voting on Proposals.
3. The closing of Polls.
D. Results of the voting.
E. Presentation by the management regarding the company.
F. Q & A session regarding the company.
G. Adjournment.
Example of Annual Agenda for a Meeting of The Board
[Date:],
[Name of the Organization],
Board Meeting Committees
Legislative Committee
This committee considers matters related to legislative proposals and recommends positions to the board.
Customer services and administrative efficiency committee
This committee addresses matters that are affecting customer services as well as administrative operations throughout the board.
Business Committee
This committee provides a forum for the discussion of proposed regulations and policies of the business.
Board Meeting
Annual Board Member Photograph
The board members follow traditional procedures and take an annual photograph during the meeting.
The setting of Annual Values
The Board sets the unitary and non-unitary values of the Business.
Special Presentations
The Board members make special presentations to the staff members and others about the business and any accomplishment awards received over the years.
Discussions.
Members of the staff and others present arguments regarding the increase or decrease in business as well as any other issues which have been slated.
The vote of Thanks.
A board member presents a vote of thanks to all others attending the meeting at the conclusion.
Conclusion
The agenda for annual meetings will be different for every company or board that may be calling the same. One cannot assume that a single template can be used by the organizers to create the annual agenda. They must consider the features which have been spoken and customize an agenda that is suitable for themselves.
At no point can any party overlook the features mentioned because it has the potential to divert the minds of the invitees leading to wastage of time and inconvenience. The task of preparing an annual agenda for the meeting will be the responsibility of the organizers who must ensure they commit no errors when preparing the agenda for the meeting.
Most importantly the annual agenda must be distributed at least three days before the date of the meeting failing which they are unlikely to achieve the objectives they have in mind.