Creating A Meaningful Meeting Agenda

A good agenda is an essential component of any plan that attempts to implement a life change. It establishes the context and values of the discussion. Whether the planning process involves couples counseling, parenting classes, or job coaching, the key is the planned agenda. Too often you will hear about a policy change in a company but find the reason was not presented with the right plan. Likewise, when evaluating a career decision, you may find that only an outline of job expectations is presented, and the organization is unwilling to provide details.

Planning begins with a decision-making process that starts with making sure the agenda is clear and that decision makers can follow it. It is well established that people feel more relaxed if the time we spend together is "productive." This is why it's crucial that there be a "road map" of what will be discussed, and who will be invited, so that people feel that they are getting on with a meaningful discussion and that their effort is having some impact.

Begin with ideas that are readily available and set the stage for how you will present these ideas. Then implement the ideas you have set. That will be your only objective, not for a meeting to remain meaningful or productive. When you have said all the things you want to discuss and used the allotted time to create a satisfactory agenda, then it is time for another meeting. On the opposite extreme, a meeting that has no goals or purpose and is not marked by necessary communication will lead to frustration and ill feelings.

It is crucial to note that taking into account the results of the meeting is critical. It would be a sign of trust for the organization to proceed in a guided way rather than pursuing any specific path. The most common way to set a meeting agenda is to list the topics one by one. In this method, it is up to each of the individuals who attend to identify which topics they wish to discuss, while the facilitator has an opportunity to allocate appropriate attention.

An example of an important agenda item would be "Meetings and special events will be scheduled for the upcoming two weeks." This item would need to be in the agenda in the order of its importance. It would need to be followed by "Invitation to Town Hall meeting" and "Responsibility" within that order. The members of the meeting would need to be able to set their own agenda and can move forward on their agenda where appropriate.

planning sessions often involve a presentation of an agenda and questions (including full submissions) on a given topic. However, as your organization expands, it's useful to break the discussion into sub-segments with associated segments or topics (e.g., Social Sciences, Business, Legal Affairs, etc.). Provide immediate feedback to your participants to facilitate more productive discussions. This can be done at the beginning of each planning session by indicating which questions and proposals have been received. Unfortunately, some leaders or chairs of meeting after all procesure and planning will not follow either the agenda nor parliamentary procedure in running a meeting.