Once you decide to have a meeting, you'll need to set an agenda, allocate time, and create calendar invites.
- Read the following definition of an agenda with your teacher. What is the main point?
A meeting agenda helps you and your colleagues prepare for a meeting and guide yourselves through the items you need to discuss. Time spent in planning an agenda will likely save time for all meeting participants by providing a clear set of topics, objectives, and time frames.
- Do you set an agenda for meetings? Why or why not?
Look at the following Eisenhower Matrix and the tasks below. Which category would you place each task?
- Organize a team meeting.
- Check your email for meeting invites.
- Have a feedback session with an underperforming team member.
- Show up to a professional development meeting.
- Mentor a junior staffer.
- Lead a daily stand-up meeting.
The following are the words we often use in meetings. Match the following words to the phrases:
| Terms | Definitions |
| Agenda | a. The schedule for discussing and completing tasks |
| Objectives | b. People who are involved or affected by the meeting |
| Stakeholders | c. A list of topics to be discussed in a meeting |
| Action Items | d. Tasks that need to be completed |
| Deliverables | e. Expected results from the consultant’s work |
| Timeline | f. The goals of the meeting |
| Follow-up | g. Future actions after the meeting |
Use the phrases to complete the sentences in a meeting context:
| Phrase | Purpose |
| Before we meet with the client, I'd like to set an agenda to make sure we’re all aligned. | a. Agreeing on what will be done after the meeting |
| Let's outline the key points we need to cover so we stay on track during the call. | b. Starting with quick/easy tasks to build momentum |
| We should focus on discussing the updated project timeline to make sure everyone is on the same page. | c. Making a plan for the meeting |
| One important topic is the client's feedback from the last review session. | d. Emphasizing a specific subject |
| We need to allocate time for Q&A at the end of the meeting. | e. Managing time and planning discussion |
| Let's deal with the low-hanging fruit first, like updating the project plan and sending out the new deck. | f. Listing discussion topics |
|
To keep morale up, let’s focus on the small wins, like getting the new client portal up and running. |
g. Identifying easy wins |
| Let's confirm action items at the end of the meeting. | h. Focusing on the main discussion topic |
The Marketing and Operations teams of a consulting firm has a new client, who is The Dairy Farmers of Canada. They were hired to look into new avenues of revenue. Marketing wants to expand product lines and work with more partners (cheese companies, alcohol companies, yogurt companies, whey, protein, etc.). Operations team, on the other hand, strongly disagrees due to fragmented resources (quality control, distribution, government regulations, new/longer supply chains). The Dairy Farmers of Canada wants recognition with their label on multiple products and more visibility in the market. Marketing and Operations disagree on the scale and timing of product expansion. The client requires a response in a week. Decide whether the meeting is a brainstorming, informing, problem-solving, reviewing, team-building or decision-making meeting. Using the phrases you learned in the Language section, write a meeting invite with your teacher.
Now you have a deeper understanding of the importance of a good agenda and clear objectives. What is something new you learned from this lesson?
For example, the art of a good agenda is ensuring you cover what you said you would cover, but also have some flexibility for addressing any new business or issues that crop up.