What's on the Agenda?

An agenda “is perhaps the most important tool in ensuring a successful productive meeting” (Achen, 2010). Preparing and distributing an agenda a couple days ahead of the meeting ensures that each attendee knows what to expect and how to be prepared, eliminating any excuses.

A good agenda always includes the following information:

• Date and place of meeting
• Start time and end time
• Brief description of each topic listed in prioritized order
• Names of people responsible for any action
• Proposed allotment of time for each topic
• Any premeeting preparation expected of participants
  (Guffey, Rhodes, & Rogin, 2011, p. 53)

The fewer amounts of agenda items listed, the more productive the meeting will be because “the narrower the focus, the greater the chances for success” (Guffey, Rhodes, & Rogin, 2011, p. 53).

Information included, in addition to the agenda, may be:

• Reports or materials that participants should read in advance
• Copy of the minutes of previous related meetings

Visit the MyCommittee website to view and/or generate a free sample agenda.

References:

Achen, B. v. (2010, February 19). Why meeting agendas are important. Retrieved from Best Practices for Business: http://bestpracticesforbusiness.com/2010/02/19/meeting-management/

Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2011). Business communication: process and product (6th Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd.