Agenda

Tips on Creating an Agenda

Contact participants before the meeting to find out if there is anything they want included on the agenda under new or old business. Ask participants beforehand how much time they need to give their reports.

Sometimes it is difficult to judge the timing on an agenda. Either be patient with experimenting on the timing, or be firm with the times in an effort to move the meeting along. One of the main purposes of creating a meeting agenda is to provide structure and help make the meeting more productive.

Reasons to Use an Agenda

A printed agenda is a useful tool to help the Secretary take minutes of the meeting, even if items in the meeting are discussed out of order. The agenda ensures that all business is covered, and leaves room for some flexibility.

An agenda can be used to prevent members, board members, and participants from monopolizing time in the meeting with irrelevant discussions and extensive grievances.

An agenda is an excellent meeting planning tool to keep meeting length to a reasonable time frame. A well-planned agenda also makes for more efficient meetings- especially when used in conjunction with Parliamentary Procedure.

The necessity of forming committees is sometimes brought about when meetings stray from the agenda. Committees can work on issues in separate meetings.

Each organization, committee or company has its unique structure and style of conducting business and board meetings, but the elements are always similar: call to order, reports, business discussions and decision-making, and adjournment.