As we settle back into the work routine after another short Canadian summer, many of us are seeking new ways to save time and get more done each day. On that note, I’d like to propose a huge time- saving tactic; although it’s not very new. In fact, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear me say that simply using an agenda will save time during your meetings. Agreed? Excellent! Now, how often are agendas actually used in your meetings?

I have been to countless meetings where people do not prepare or distribute an agenda in advance. Meetings tend to start a few minutes late and absorb another few minutes figuring out what needs to be discussed. Then, when the discussion finally ensues, people often find that they don’t have the necessary information or participants to complete the discussion. In addition, people often find they run out of time when one issue takes up a disproportionate amount of time during the meeting.

Sound familiar? If it does, then you are in for a pleasant surprise. Simply instituting an agenda – and using it correctly – can make a big difference in the productivity of your meetings.

It is shocking how much the use of an agenda can impact your meeting productivity. I often walk clients through a simple exercise where we quantify the impact of using an agenda. Clients consistently tell me that they can save anywhere from 20% to 50% of their meeting time! Given that many of us spend about half of our time in meetings, this productivity improvement can really add up.

A meeting agenda helps to ensure that:

  The discussion is more focused and concise

  The meeting objective is clearly understood

  Participants show up prepared and focused

  The right people are in attendance

  The meeting starts on time (since the agenda indicates that there is only so much time for each discussion item; every minute counts)

  The meeting output is more action-oriented

The ideal meeting agenda includes the following:

  One to two sentence summary of the overall meeting objective

  List of discussion items with the objective/goal for each discussion item

  Proposed timing for each discussion

  Summary of pre-work required by meeting participants

  Advance distribution (allowing participants sufficient time to review/prepare, i.e., 1-2 days).