1.5 - About University

11.6 T HE M EETING A GENDA:W HY, WHAT, AND H OWInspired by Antony Jay and M.M. Milstein.A well-planned agenda speeds up meetings and helps ensure that meaningful results areachieved. This tool provides useful tips and an application framework for preparing effectivemeeting agendas.The purpose of the meeting agenda✔ to define the purpose of the meeting✔ to plan meeting content and flow✔ to define results expected and assign responsibilities for each agenda item✔ to keep the meeting on track✔ to organize meeting minutesThe elements of the meeting agendaThe meeting agenda:➠ Clarifies the purpose and the outcomes expected from the meeting. [☛ 2.6 Clarifying Purpose, 2.7 GoalStatements]➠ Lists the meeting date, start and end times, and location.➠ Lists the meeting participants and roles (e.g., chairperson, recorder).➠ For each item on the agenda, notes the outcome being sought, who has responsibility for the item, and the timeallotted for each item.➠ Clarifies premeeting requirements and responsibilities. (Attach background reading as appropriate.)Guidelines for working with the meeting agenda❑❑❑❑❑❑❑Note the reason for each topic on the agenda (e.g., information sharing, information gathering, decision making,problem solving).Order agenda items by importance, and place in logical sequence (e.g., don’t discuss the timetable for moving officesuntil it’s agreed that budget funds are available to make the move this year). [☛ 13.5 Time Management]Don’t allow the group to waste time on an urgent but unimportant or trivial agenda item, to the exclusion of a nonurgentbut important item. This is when it really pays to put times on the agenda and stick to them.Organize the agenda so items that ought to be kept brief are introduced 10 or 15 minutes prior to lunch or somesuch break.Don’t list a category called Other Business. This is little more than an invitation to waste time. This doesn’t meanthat, in an emergency, an extra agenda item cannot be added, nor does it prevent your including time forunstructured discussion after the meeting has ended.Aim for 1-hour meetings, 2 hours at the most. Effectiveness usually decreases after 2 hours.Pay attention to which items tend to unite or divide the group. Sequence these items appropriately. For example,you may want to start and end the meeting on a positive note. [☛ 8.3 Organizational Communication, 8.6Communication 101, 10.5 Group Disturbances]SECTION 11 TOOLS FOR LEADING MEETINGS 353