An effective meeting agenda can set the tone for a meeting as well as clear expectations for the things that need to happen at that particular occasion.
As usual agendas for any meeting are better prepared immediately after notice of the same has been provided. This is because it gives the creator of the agenda sufficient time to consider all the subjects which need to be discussed and list them on the agenda accordingly.
While this could be a set rule for preparing meeting agendas it has often been noticed that meetings are scheduled without prior warning.
The requirement of the agenda cannot be ignored because it lists the order of business which is slated for a discussion.
The meeting agenda is written by the company or the organization to have a list of items that need to be discussed to complete the meeting within the scheduled time. Participants who attend the meeting value their time and wouldn’t want to be involved in a discussion that does not head anywhere.
The organizers of the meeting need to allocate time for the topics to be discussed and also give the participants some time to prepare their responses to any questions which may be raised.
An effective meeting agenda will distinguish between the important and the casual matters as well as differentiate between what should or should not be discussed in the meeting.
The meeting agenda is written for the primary participants or their subordinates who are expected to offer suggestions, solutions or even raise questions on any subject which are discussed.
The organizer of the meeting must ensure that the agenda reaches the right individual after they create the meeting agenda to have a meeting which will be valuable.
A meeting agenda may be addressed to an individual or even a group of people. The individual writing the agenda must make an attempt to gather information about the attendees before he or she begins to write the agenda for the meeting.
Points to consider while drafting Meeting Agendas
- The date and time of the meeting, as well as the location, must be mentioned on the agenda.8
- The name of the organizer or the company scheduling the meeting must also be mentioned.
- The subject/subjects to be discussed in the order of the discussion also need to be mentioned.
- Opening and closing salutations are needed when the agenda is being sent to individuals.
- Informing the participants about the nature of the meeting will also prove beneficial.
Example of Meeting Agenda 1
Bailey School Meeting Agenda
[Location: Address of the Location Or Room Number],
[Date:]
[Time:]
[Facilitator: Name of the Individual]
Items of the Agenda
[Start Time] — [End Time] — — Description Of the Agenda Item — — — Location
8 AM To 10 AM — for replacing placeholder text participants just need to select the text and begin typing without including space to the right or left of the characters in their selection. — — — [Name of the location].
10:15 AM to 12:15 PM — for applying any text formatting seen in the template with just a click from the home tab in the styles group. — — — [Name of the location]
12:15 PM to 1 PM — lunch.
1 PM to 3 PM — for adding a new row at the end of the table participants are requested to click on the last cell in the last row and then press tab. — — — [Name of the location].
3 PM to 5 PM — for adding or deleting rows or columns anywhere in the table by clicking an adjacent row or column and thereafter on the table tools layout tab by clicking and insert or delete option. — — — [Name of the location].
Example of Meeting Agenda 2
Project Update Meeting Agenda
[Date:]
[From Name of the Company]
[Time: 2 PM To 3 PM]
[Location: Vision Conference Room]
Agenda
2 PM — Welcome note by the president of the company.
2:05 PM — Customer technical issue item update provided by [name of the individual]
2:15 PM — CEO project briefing planning provided by [name of the individual]
2:30 PM — Budget update provided by [name of the individual]
2:45 PM — Resource planning update and contractor outstanding’s provided by [name of the individual]
3 PM — Adjournment of meeting and disperse to the parking lot.