Create an Agenda
An agenda is an itemized table of topics that will be covered during a meeting. The meeting agenda is an integral part of planning and running a meeting, as it defines the purpose of the meeting, details meeting discussion items, designates the meeting presenters and specifies the amount of time allotted to each issue. If you need to plan a meeting you will need to how to gather information for an agenda and how to put it all together. Create an agenda by following these steps.
Contents
Steps
Sample Agendas
Doc:Business Meeting Agenda,Club Meeting Agenda,PTA Meeting Agenda
Creating Your Own Agenda
- Notify everyone who is to be involved in the meeting.
- You may send an email or distribute an office memo. Just make sure it is on paper.
- Include the date, time, location and purpose of the meeting.
- Request RSVPs to the meeting. Make it clear that those who accept the invitation are expected to attend.
- Ask that attendees have meeting agenda item requests in to you by a specified date and time.
- Have them detail the agenda item for you, so you may list it appropriately on the upcoming agenda. Request that they supply you with not only the agenda topic, but also a short description of what they intend to cover.
- Verify the amount of time they will need to present the agenda item.
- Create an agenda summarizing all of the agenda item details you have gathered.
- Make a 3-column table with headers for "Agenda Item," "Presenter" and "Time."
- List the agenda items according to order of receipt, urgency or relevance.
- Write up a short description of each agenda topic, as detailed by the contributing presenters.
- Include a header with the meeting details such as date, time, purpose/scope, location and duration.
- Submit the proposed agenda to the agenda item presenters to verify that they are comfortable with the details of their placement and allotted time slot.
- Make any changes or rearrangements, if necessary.
- Distribute the approved agenda to all the attendees. Give them plenty of time before the meeting to review and deliberate over the agenda, so they may contribute to the discussion as they see fit. 2 days advance notice is a reasonable notification time.
By using Agenda Templates
- Find a suitable agenda template. The first step is to find a suitable meeting agenda template, because there is little use starting from scratch, when there are so many fantastic tools on the internet. A quick search will throw up a list of sites which can help you make a start. These websites contain various different kinds of agenda format, so browse until you find one that you are happy with.
- Download agenda template. Once you have found the perfect template, select it and click the download button, after the preview screen provided.
- Open in Microsoft Word. locate the template, by opening the Downloads folder on your computer, and then open the template file using Microsoft Word. This is the best choice of documentary software, as it is easy to navigate and simple to use. For the fastest, most efficient agenda template, you are recommended to use up to date Microsoft Word.
- Customize your agenda. Do not forget to customize your agenda. The template that you have downloaded will be filled with example information, so that you know what to write, and where to write it. This information needs to be replaced with data about your company. This includes the header; make sure that you add your logo, copyright text, and any other important details.
- once you have filled in the basic information, it is time to turn to the agenda format. You are responsible for allocating time to each agenda, and for deciding which agendas are important enough to make it onto the schedule, so take care when filling out the slots. It can be useful to use the headings, Agenda Item, Presenter and Time – just to keep everything clear and well defined.
- Keep it professional. You are recommended to not leaving any of the agenda ‘slots’ empty. If you have more spaces than you need, delete them. You should also feel free to make aesthetic modifications. There is no reason why you can’t switch up the color, headings, and format to match the essence of the company. However, you are recommended to not use dark colors, because they will make the document harder to read. Use of light and company color scheme will make it looks professional.
- Proofread your agenda. The final step is to give your completed agenda a quick read through, whilst keeping an eye out for spelling mistakes and typos. Now, you are ready to have a great meeting.
Tips
- If the meeting you are planning has a specific purpose and you receive an agenda item request that does not fit into the scope of the meeting, ask the person who requested the item to send an interoffice email or memo to address the topic, or suggest the item be put in the next applicable meeting agenda.
Warnings
- Be careful to allow enough time for each presenter to address an agenda item. Be realistic about presentation times and don't try to squeeze too much information into a single meeting. Remember that meeting attendees may have questions or want to offer input on one or more of the proposed agenda items.
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