Agenda Template

An agenda is a roadmap for a meeting, outlining the activities that will take place, the time they will occur, and the order in which they will happen. The primary purpose of an agenda is to provide participants with a clear meeting structure. Without one, meetings can feel disorganized, and you risk leaving without achieving your goals.

However, agendas don’t have to be dull. This template is designed to make your agenda visual, fun, and interactive. You can customize it with your choice of graphics, colors, fonts, and images to give your agenda a unique personality and creative style.

How to Create an Agenda

Creating your own agenda is simple, and FigJam’s infinite canvas is the perfect platform for making and sharing it with your team. Follow these steps to customize the agenda template and make it your own:

1. Add Basic Details

   At the top of the agenda, include key meeting details such as the date and specific goals.

2. Define Priorities and Tasks

   Identify the most important topics for the meeting. Once you’ve determined the meeting priorities, jot them down on the agenda.

3. Collaborate in Real-Time

   During the meeting, invite participants to the FigJam board so they can add any additional priorities, tasks, or notes that may have been missed. Discuss any new items as they arise.

4. Customize Your Agenda

   Use the template’s features to enhance your agenda with graphics, colors, fonts, and images. Make the agenda visually engaging and personal to make the planning process fun and efficient.

Benefits of Creating an Agenda

Here are some key advantages of creating an effective agenda:

1. Keeps Meetings Organized

   An agenda helps structure meetings and prioritize critical activities, keeping the team focused on important matters and boosting productivity. A formal agenda sets clear objectives and establishes a goal for the meeting, creating a more organized direction and clearer post-meeting actions.

2. Enables Effective Decision-Making

   Agendas ensure that all important topics are discussed, helping the meeting host avoid forgetting crucial items. Thoroughly addressing issues in a structured session allows for better group decision-making, encouraging collaboration and transparency. Input from diverse perspectives enhances teamwork and performance.

3. Helps Communicate Important News

   Agendas provide a platform to announce important business updates and meeting goals. They also serve as a space to recap previous meetings, reflecting on progress made and ensuring nothing gets overlooked.

4. Provides an Equal Chance to Contribute

   By listing action items in advance, agendas give all participants time to prepare. This allows quieter team members to reflect on the discussion topics and come prepared with valuable insights, fostering more balanced participation in the meeting.

Best Practices for Creating an Agenda

Keep these tips in mind when creating your agenda:

1. Seek Input from the Entire Team

   Engage your team by including topics that reflect their needs. Ask team members to suggest agenda items along with a reason why each action item should be discussed in a team setting. This ensures everyone feels heard and invested.

2. Prioritize Topics That Affect the Entire Team

   Meeting time is valuable and difficult to schedule, so focus on issues that impact the whole team and require collective input. Discussions should center on interdependent topics to keep everyone engaged and productive.

3. List Agenda Topics as Questions the Team Needs to Answer

   Instead of vague topics like "office space reallocation," frame agenda items as questions that encourage strategic thinking and participation. For example, ask, "Under what conditions, if any, should we redistribute office space?" This approach fosters more meaningful discussions and clear decision-making.

Here are key elements that your meeting agenda should include:

Agenda Header
The header identifies:

• The organization, committee, or entity hosting the meeting.
• The name of the assembling body (e.g., Board, Advisory Group, Committee).
• The type of meeting.

Meeting Attendees
List all participants of the meeting, along with the agenda items each team member is responsible for.

Key Objectives
Clearly state the meeting's objectives by answering two main questions:

• Why are we meeting?
• What do we want to accomplish?

Input from Your Team
Involve team members or other attendees in the agenda creation. They may provide valuable insights on the topics to be discussed, ensuring all key issues are addressed and keeping everyone engaged.

Meeting Work Plan
Outline what the meeting should achieve. Set realistic time goals for each item, allowing a few extra minutes per point in case additional discussions or questions arise.

Duration and Time Allocation for Each Agenda Item
Allocate specific time slots for each agenda item to keep the meeting running on time. Ensure that the time allocated is realistic, with a buffer for unexpected discussions. This helps respect attendees' time and keeps the meeting on track.