Definition of an Agenda
An agenda is defined as things to be done in a meeting. Its a predetermined program of the
business to be transacted in a meeting. It is a systematic record of the items of a business in
a proper order of importance. It is generally served with a notice and it includes a list of
topics to discuss, a sequence of planned activities,or both. Complicated agendas may
include detailed topic descriptions, including the expected outcomes for each items and
reference materials, such as reports and proposals for review prior to the meeting.
How to prepare an Agenda?
❖ The routine items are placed first and then the controversial matters after.
❖ An agenda should be written in a clear and explicit language avoiding ambiguous
words.
❖ It is prepared before a meeting takes place with a view to avoid omission of any
important information.
❖ All items in an agenda are serially written in order of importance and sometimes with
notes underneath each point.
❖ The topics should be determined by the secretary with the consultation of the higher
authorities or the convener of the meeting.
Importance of an Agenda
➢ It helps attendees prepare
An important aspect of creating and circulating an agenda for business meetings
ahead of time is that it gives participants an opportunity to prepare for the meeting.it
also gives them a chance to research in advance and prepare relevant information
and questions to contribute constructively to the meeting.
➢ Opportunity for feedback
Creating an agenda for a business enables attendees to give the meeting planner
feedback about the direction of the meeting and to make changes to the agenda as
necessary to include topics of special concern.
➢ Other things to consider
It is up to the leader of the meeting to keep discussions focused on relevant topics
and to work through the items listed on the agenda. An agenda can include a timeline
so that the meeting doesn’t wander or go over the available time participants have for
the meeting.An agenda can be written in different languages which creates diversity
in the meeting allowing for different presenters to present in different languages.
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As it is circulated in advance, the members of the committee or meeting can take
preparation to discuss the topic accurately. It helps to take a prompt decision and it
helps the chairperson to conduct the meeting smoothly. The information gathered
helps to write the minutes and resolution of the meeting. Members of the meeting can
exchange their thoughts and ideas informally before holding the meeting.
Examples of an Agenda
Advantages of an Agenda
➢ Complete discussion goals
Agendas provide an outline of discussion topics. The outline prevents the
moderator or members of the meeting from forgetting important topics to
introduce. When all topics are thoroughly discussed, valuable decisions can
be made as a group during the meeting instead of hurriedly making plans
outside the meeting. Input and suggestions from a variety of perspectives
improves the quality of performance by members.
➢
Assists in communicating important news
Agendas provide an opportunity to inform members through announcements
about critical events, goals and tasks. Agendas enable members who might
not have access to everyone in the organisation to announce important news
and hear news of interest. Without an agenda, announcements may not be
communicated to all the members, which can result in confusion and
resentment. Agendas also recap previous meetings to help members review
the progress made and narrow the focus for the current meeting.
➢ Provides equal opportunities to contribute
Agendas generally mention items to be discussed for the next meeting. This
gives the members a chance to ponder the discussion topics before the
meeting. At many meetings, outspoken members are more than eager to
participate while reserved individuals may be more hesitant. However,
knowing what is going to be discussed enables members to research topics of
interests, think about how the topics apply to their realm and then make
thoughtful, quality contributions at the meeting.
➢ Organises meetings
An agenda prioritises the most important activities, boosts productivity and
focuses the members. The mere presence of an agenda creates a formal
atmosphere and discourages members from wasting time. The agenda
prepares the moderator and encourages consistency and organisation. An
agenda also sets the objectives and gives the members a goal. This
organises the thoughts of the members, direction of the meeting and the
action after the meeting.
➢ Contributes to archives
A collection of past agendas is an ideal record for external and internal
institutions, organisations and the public for viewing the progress of your
organisation. The documentation helps the public and organisation members
assess past decisions, remind them of previous events or important figures
and formulate feasible goals. The roll call also helps administration determine
the most dedicated members by counting attendance and reviewing
contributions to the meeting. This can help with decisions on which members
to promote or assign the role of addressing the public.
Disadvantages of an Agenda
➢ Time consuming
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Some topics require lengthy discussion that might not be possible if meetings
were limited to 50 minutes. Important viewpoints, and significant facts, might
therefore end up being omitted/overlooked.If meetings started late for some
reason, the time for discussion would be even more limited. This would be
less of a limitation if a meeting lasted, say, 90 minutes.Shorter meetings might
limit the time for, say, guest speakers or PowerPoint presentations.
Inability to arrive at a decision
Just as “two heads are better than one,” it is also true that “too many cooks
spoil the soup.” Multiplicity of views and personal stubbornness of members
may prevent a meeting from taking a decision which a chief executive may
take alone.
➢ Lack of seriousness
Many meetings suffer from the drawback that members come unprepared and
feel that the others will do the thinking and talking. They feel they can take a
free ride. “Everybody’s job is nobody’s job.”
➢ Expensive
Meetings are expensive to arrange – they require a place, paperwork, prior
communication, and travelling by the attendees.
➢ Open to disruption
A meeting is prone to being disrupted by an element that is opposed to its
objective. There are times when one passenger’s refusal to adjust himself
delays the entire flight. The same for meetings. The spirit of give-and-take
may be missing in some participants.
Different types of Agendas
Simple Meeting Minutes
Meeting type
‍Check all that apply.
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Update
Discussion
Decision
Goal
‍Write the meeting goal here. (E.g. Discuss agency performance and decide whether to renew for another year.)
Agenda
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Item one
Item two
Item three
Next Steps
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@name task by Due-Date
Weekly Meeting
Team Review
Share updates on overall progress, key metrics, and anecdotes to give your team an up-to-date understanding of
current initiatives.‍
Individual Updates
Allow each team member to briefly share what they've been working on. This includes progress, obstacles,
achievements, and any other information that would be valuable for the team.‍
Positive Highlights
Acknowledge big wins and milestones accomplished since the last weekly meeting. What valuable lessons were
learned?‍
Roadblocks & Concerns
Have any issues or challenges come up since the last weekly meeting? Are there any particular problems a team
member is stuck on? How can we help solve them?‍
New Information
Are there any new metrics, trends, customer feedback, or market influences we should be aware of? What about
company announcements or industry news? Share any resources that would help the team understand these
concepts better.‍
Other Important Notes
Summarise any other valuable information that was shared. It does not have to be directly related to the weekly
meeting agenda.‍
Upcoming Priorities
What are the main priorities we should focus on for next week? How are we planning to approach these? What
does success look like?‍
Main Takeaways
What were the main insights from this weekly meeting? Include key decisions made, progress reports, and any
opportunities, issues, or concerns that should be shared with colleagues.‍
Share
List all key stakeholders not present and other departments that this information should be shared with.‍
Take Action
Clarify next steps for the entire team as well as each individual. Note who's completing them, and when they
should be done by. You can assign these tasks from this template.
Project Check-In Meeting
Our Objective
Reiterate the objective of the project
Deadlines/Milestones
Include in the agenda high-level milestones
Project Update Roundtable
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Name
Summarise 1-5 updates here in the agenda
Name
Summarise 1-5 updates here in the agenda
Roadblocks & Risks
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Where are you blocked? How can the team help?
Next Steps
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@name Task by DUE-DATE
Senior Leadership Team Meeting
Engine Dashboard Overview
Have each functional team (sales, marketing, product, etc.) prepare and give an overview of how they're running.
Include:
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Goal’s and how they're tracking
Update on sub-processes
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Key wins, losses, opportunities, concerns
What we're focused on‍‍
‍Observations and Learnings
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Customer anecdotes
Feedback
Other
‍CTAs / Asks
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What does each functional team need from the rest of the leadership team
Follow-ups and actions (all actions need a directly responsible team member and a due date)
Formal Meeting Minutes
Call to Order
A [meeting type] meeting of [organisation name] was held on [date] at [location]. It began at [time] and was
presided over by [chairperson’s name], with [secretary’s name] as secretary.
Attendance
Voting members
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Guests
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Members not in attendance
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Approval of minutes
A motion to approve the minutes of the previous [date] meeting was made by [name] and seconded by [name].
Officer’s Reports
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Other Reports
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Main Motions
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Motion by [name] and seconded by [name] that [state the motion here]. The motion [carried or failed]
with [#] in favour and [#] against.
Announcements
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Adjournment
Board Meeting
‍Preparation
The most important aspect of this meeting is the meeting memo. This way you don't spend half the meeting
briefing one another. Here is what you need to include in every board memo:
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Each team leader writes their own section, no more than 1-2 pages summarising the state of the
business. Introduction, things going well, challenges, plans for the future, update on items from last
time. These sections can contain graphs and charts
The CEO summarises and provides a narrative at the beginning of the document
The VP Finance attaches the financial statements and key reports
The team circulates the narrative with the board ahead of time. Board members comment and ask
questions as they read. The team clarifies points and provides analysis where necessary
Meeting Minutes
Call to Order
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A [meeting type] meeting of [organisation name] was held on [date] at [location]. It began at [time] and
was presided over by [chairperson’s name], with [secretary’s name] as secretary
‍Attendance
Voting members
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Guests
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Members not in attendance
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‍Approval of minutes
‍A motion to approve the minutes of the previous [date] meeting was made by [name] and seconded by [name].
Matters up for decision:
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Major strategic decisions
Routine decisions
Matters up for discussion:
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CEO report:
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Current pressing issues
Matters for approval
Update on strategic plan implementation/rollout
Critical Key Performance Indicators
Risk and compliance update
Discussion around financial statements and key reports
Committee minutes
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Audit and risk committee
Governance committee
Other matters for discussion
Meeting finalisation
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Actions to be taken
Items for public disclosure
Next meeting
Meeting close