Agendas

What is an agenda?

How often have you created an agenda for a client or for a meeting without really understanding the benefit of what you are creating?  Perhaps you were asked to create an agenda for a meeting because the institution you are working with needed to know who to send and when to send them.  Or perhaps you created an agenda to help keep a meeting on time and on task.  While an agenda can help with both, it is so much more.  According to Bolman and Deal (2021) an agenda is a script or setting to get things accomplished.  It’s a powerful tool, because it sets a plan, and it helps one navigate the political framework of decisions that might need to be discussed that week.  To understand more about why the agenda is important, one must understand how to frame an agenda and what key points are crucial to their effectiveness. 

When creating an agenda, talk first with your project manager about additional topics that may need to be reviewed.  Seek input from your implementation team about joint topics that should be added (example Bursar and Financial Aid discussing payment priorities).  Within each agenda topic, note if the item is for training, discussion, or deciding.  This drives the purpose and ensures that you have given plenty of notice of who needs to be in attendance.  Include in your agenda any items that need to be answered.  Schwarz (2015) suggests entering these into the agenda as questions.  (Example: How will we export student athletic schedules to the advisor for NCAA certification?) This gives the group time to research prior to arriving to the meeting.  This will also inform who will need to be at that portion of the meeting to be included in the decision discussion.  Another point to consider is that often the items at the beginning of the agenda receive more attention that those items at the end.  According to Rogelberg (2019) the goals of your meeting should be ranked on strategic importance, making sure that you cover those items that are critical to the meeting outcomes first. 

Always be mindful of who you have attending your meeting.  This time is expensive for the institution and for the consultant.  Be sure to allocate enough time to cover the topics adequately but be respectful to stay on target and drive the discussion towards completion. 

Ultimately, as a consultant, there is one other reason to create an agenda.  And this may be the most important.  An agenda builds trust.  Not only does it show professionalism, but it tells those in attendance that you have a clear plan for your time together.  It tells the meeting attendees that you are respectful of their time and that you value their input by giving each individual time to prepare.      

So next time you are creating an agenda, remember it is so much more than just a list of topics.  Happy Planning!

References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Rogelberg, S. (2019, April 30). What the science says about meeting agendas may surprise you. plus, an alternative approach that could be a game changer. Www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-science-says-meeting-agendas-may-surprise-you-plus-rogelberg/

Schwarz, R. (2015, March 19). How to Design an Agenda for an Effective Meeting. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting#:~:text=It%20helps%20team%20members%20prepare