Here’s how our Meeting Agenda Template can benefit your team.
What is a Meeting Agenda Template?
A Meeting Agenda Template helps structure your team meetings by organizing key details. It typically includes:
- Planning information: Date, time, location, and attendees.
- Meeting leader(s): The person or people responsible for leading the meeting.
- Topics and agenda items: A list of the main subjects to cover.
- Goals or objectives: The purpose or outcomes the meeting aims to achieve.
- Action items: Tasks to be completed after the meeting.
Using the Meeting Agenda Template ensures effective collaboration by clearly outlining when team members should share information and when it's time to listen and reflect.
What is a meeting agenda?
We've all experienced meetings that went off track and felt unproductive. In fact, employees spend an average of 31 hours each month in such meetings.
A meeting agenda is essential for ensuring productivity. It sets clear expectations for what should happen before, during, and after the meeting. It provides a structured timeframe, outlines key discussion points, and helps teams make informed decisions, align priorities, and work toward common goals. A well-crafted agenda keeps the meeting focused and efficient.
How to Write an Agenda for a Meeting
Creating an effective meeting agenda is easy with FigJam’s collaborative workspace. Follow these steps using the Meeting Agenda Template:
- Outline the Type of Meeting
Specify what kind of meeting you’re hosting (e.g., asynchronous, synchronous, retrospective, workshop). Defining this will help your team know what to expect and prepare accordingly.
- Set the Meeting Duration
Allocate time for each part of the meeting. This will ensure everyone knows how long each section will take and help keep the meeting on track.
- Strategic Alignment
Identify who will lead each part of the meeting and add their names to the template. This ensures the right people are guiding the discussions and keeping the meeting on schedule.
- Create the Meeting Agenda
Document the key talking points, assign discussion topics to specific attendees, and allocate time slots for each topic. Set clear goals, and attach any relevant documents to the agenda. If using FigJam, you can directly add files and resources to the board.
- Document the Meeting
Assign someone to take notes and record meeting minutes. With FigJam, you can integrate Google Workspace for easy note-taking and sharing. Use a countdown timer during the meeting to ensure the agenda stays on track.
- Assign the Next Steps
At the end of the meeting, assign actionable next steps to each team member. Ensure that tasks are clear, prioritized, and aligned with the team's goals.
Pro Tip:
Recap the meeting by summarizing key takeaways and action items. End on a positive note to keep momentum going, ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities until the next meeting.
What Should an Agenda Include?
While agenda items can vary depending on the business and type of meeting, there are several common elements to include:
- Timeframes: Specify when the meeting will start, finish, and the duration of each agenda item.
- Participants: List everyone who needs to attend the meeting.
- Speakers: Identify who will lead the meeting and keep things on track.
- Agenda Topics: Outline the main discussion points and topics for the meeting.
- Overall Goal/Meeting Objective: Define the purpose or goal of the meeting.
- Outcome and Deliverables: Clarify the expected results and next steps.
- Actions: Assign tasks to be completed after the meeting.
When creating your agenda, it’s helpful to check in with your team beforehand. Give participants an opportunity to provide feedback on key discussion points, share project updates, or suggest topics they'd like to address. This ensures everyone feels heard and included.
When to Use a Meeting Agenda
A meeting agenda is beneficial for any meeting, but it’s particularly useful in the following scenarios:
- Sticking to a Tight Timeframe:
If you're working with a tight deadline or your participants are busy, an agenda provides structure to ensure the meeting stays on track and fits within the allotted time.
- Preparing Participants in Advance:
When you need participants to come prepared, an agenda outlines the key topics and discussion points, allowing attendees to review and gather relevant information before the meeting.
- Encouraging Participation:
Agendas help boost engagement by giving participants a clear idea of what will be discussed, encouraging them to prepare and actively contribute during the meeting.
As a best practice, create your agenda ahead of time and share it with the team at least a day before the meeting. This gives everyone ample time to review and prepare.
