We’ve all had meetings that were ineffective which cost time and money. No matter if it’s the wrong person in the room or unproductive discussions or even a lack of discussion, time spent in meetings isn’t always free. A meeting agenda that is effective will help you meet the goal of the meeting and help you achieve your company’s goals.

A concise and clear agenda allows everyone to understand what’s going to happen in the meeting and helps participants prepare for it. The best method to create an effective agenda for meetings is by including the following fundamental elements:

Write down all the outcomes you expect to achieve and the reason for your meeting. This will help keep your attention on the most important issues and eliminate unnecessary side-bars.

Determine what topics will be discussed for each item. This should include an outline of the subject, who’s responsible for the discussion and the amount of time that should be devoted to the discussion. It’s also helpful to include the meeting’s location and time zone, particularly for teams that are remote.

If you are a collaborative team, consider listing each agenda item as a question that will be addressed by the group (i.e., “What steps are we taking to rent equipment ?”). Making each discussion point a question will stimulate discussion and help to clarify what’s expected during the meeting.

Include an explanation of the procedure you plan to follow for each item on the agenda. This is one of the most under-appreciated elements of a meeting and can significantly increase the effectiveness of your meeting. Without a clear and concise process each participant will have to decide for themselves how to approach the topic that could lead to off-topic discussions or even a complete meeting that goes off the rails. By adding a process that allows participants to modify their remarks so that they remain within the allocated time or suggest additional time for a particular topic.

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