Using Agendas to Make Your Meetings More Effective

Beverly Wallace of Genzyme Genetics sent in these great tips for planning your meetings. I thank her for the tips and encourage anyone else who wants to share their ideas to email them to me.

How many times have you attended a meeting only to find it had no direction and no agenda? Meeting agendas are very important when you have a lot to cover within a limited time. They also help in keeping the "talkers" under control and on topic.

Email A Proposed Agenda

In order to make your agenda useful, first email a proposed agenda prior to the meeting. Within this email, include a request for any additional agenda items. This works in two ways. First, everyone is prepared to discuss the same topics. Second, no one feels left out of the process

Use Visual Aids to Follow Along

Once the agenda is agreed to, stick with it. Use either a white board or even a computer with a projector to keep track of the agenda as you move through it. This helps keep everyone on the same topic and keeps things moving forward.

Follow Up on the Agenda

Finally, at the close of the meeting, address each of the agenda items with the action items. These should be reviewed at the next meeting to ensure they were followed up on. After all, what is the point of the meeting if no one ever takes action?

Meetings are only as effective as the effort you put into them. Without a plan, they tend to be time wasters and eat away at the moral of your team. Plan the content of the discussions by using an agenda and you will find meetings more focused and a better use of your time.