The Importance of Meeting Agendas

It probably seems obvious to most that meeting agendas are important for timing purposes. An agenda keeps a meeting from going too long and keeps a meeting on topic. At its most basic, an agenda lists the timetable for topics, activities and speakers within the pre-established time frame of the meeting. But lately I suspect there is more to meeting agendas than I first thought.

The importance of an agenda starts even before the meeting takes place. When we schedule a meeting, we should also send the agenda. This accomplishes the following:

• Everyone attending the meeting is able to prepare appropriately. Supplying attendees with just a time, place, and meeting topic gives no one a chance to bring or review relevant documents, prepare status reports on action items, or suggest agenda changes to the one calling the meeting.
• Writing the agenda helps focus our thoughts and strategy regarding the meeting before the meeting takes place. Leaving out this step can create meetings with unfocused goals, meandering topics, and stream of consciousness like communication from us, the meeting facilitator.

A brief verbal review of the agenda at the start of the meeting reinforces the meeting's goals to everyone attending. This review also gives the us a base on which to fall back on when the meeting drifts off topic and a way to bookend the meeting along with a recap of the meetings goals at the end. This brief review of the agenda at the start of the meeting also helps focus us when we start our meetings.

For meetings that are following a presentation format, instead of a discussion format, the importance of an agenda is lessened. However, in that case, sending out a short description of the presentation can help people make a more educated choice regarding their attendance when a scheduling conflict might exist.