Meeting agenda

Meeting agenda

Question # 1 What is the purpose of the meeting?

Intel imposed a rule that no one could hold a meeting without a clear purpose. https://hbr.org/2013/12/the-seven-imperatives-to-keeping-meetings-on-track http://www.inc.com/chuck-blakeman/great-companies-are-making-all-meetings-optional.html

Defining the purpose of the meeting may be the key to solving the problem. http://www.destination-innovation.com/articles/how-to-run-super-effective-meetings https://hbr.org/2013/12/the-seven-imperatives-to-keeping-meetings-on-track https://hbr.org/2015/03/a-checklist-for-planning-your-next-big-meeting

We must keep meetings about decisions.

The only way to do so is to cancel informational meetings – thereby saving people’s time.

Pittampalli, Al: Read this before our next meeting, location 374. http://bigthink.com/series/70/series_item/4981 http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/how-to-solve-the-1-problem-with-meetings/

Should I hold a meeting?

https://hbr.org/2015/03/do-you-really-need-to-hold-that-meeting https://hbr.org/2015/04/all-the-charts-tables-and-checklists-you-need-to-conduct-better-meetings

Question # 2 What topics do meeting participants want on the agenda?

If you want people to be active in meetings, make sure the agenda includes topics that reflect their needs.

Ask meeting participants to suggest agenda topics along with a reason why each topics needs to be addressed in the meeting. https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

Use, for example, https://drive.google.com/ to seek inputs to the agenda from potential meeting participants. https://hbr.org/2015/03/what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-running-productive-meetings https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

Put the biggest problems and the best opportunities at the start of the agenda. http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/8-ways-to-create-great-meetings/ http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/polite-meetings-waste-time/ https://hbr.org/2014/08/save-your-next-staff-meeting-from-itself/

Formulating the topics on the meeting agenda as questions will help participants to better prepare.

https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

Question # 3 How is the process for the meeting?

Define a specific step-by-step process for addressing each topic on the agenda.

https://hbr.org/2016/05/5-ways-meetings-get-off-track-and-how-to-prevent-each-one

https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

If an agenda item requires a decision, identify how the decision will be made.

https://hbr.org/2016/05/5-ways-meetings-get-off-track-and-how-to-prevent-each-one

Question # 4 Who will lead which topic on the meeting agenda?

https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

The person, who leads a topic, can, for example, 1. provide context for the topic, 2. explain data, and/or 3. have organizational responsibility for that area. https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

Question # 5 How much time will be spent on which topic?

To help people be fully engaged in the meeting, plan the meeting in 10-minute sessions.

Adapted from https://hbr.org/2011/03/how-to-conduct-a-virtual-meeti

Example A speaker on a topic has 3 minutes to present.

Then, there are 7 minutes for discussion.

https://hbr.org/2016/03/meetings-need-a-shot-clock

Question # 6 How can meeting participants prepare for the meeting?

In the meeting invitation, include links to some material that can help people learn more about the meeting topic.

Adapted from Pittampalli, Al: Read this before our next meeting, location 294.

Further inspiration https://hbr.org/2014/04/how-a-weekly-meeting-took-up-300000-hours-a-year/ http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/8-ways-to-create-great-meetings/ http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/how-to-quickly-end-useless-meetings/