Learn how to write a professional agenda for a meeting
An agenda is simply a written plan of topics to be discussed during a meeting, and every meeting should follow an agenda. A proper
agenda will make the meeting more efficient, helping the group achieve better results. Here are some tips on how to write a meeting agenda:
4 steps on how to write an agenda for a meeting:
- Select a meeting agenda template
- Brainstorm the agenda topics using a mind map
- Gather information for writing an agenda
- Write the agenda
Select a Template to Write the Agenda
Using a meeting template is a great place to start when learning how to write an agenda for a meeting. With millions of meetings held every day, there are a lot of resources available however the variety of meetings can make it tricky to find a perfect template. Fortunately, some meetings are fairly standardized and here are a few examples you can use for inspiration:
Brainstorm the Agenda Using a Mind Map
Traditionally, agendas are created in MS Word, making it difficult to get an overview of the topics you would like to include in your agenda. Linear programs are not well-suited for brainstorming which is why many people like using
mind mapping software to brainstorm agenda topics. Mind mapping allows you to get an organic visual overview of topics that can later be exported to Word as the agenda. When learning how to write an agenda for a meeting, mind mapping may be a useful tool.
Gather Information for Writing an Agenda
It is important to get input from participants about what they think should be in the meeting agenda, especially if you are writing an agenda for a manager or supervisor. Send out emails or include participants in the agenda topic brainstorming session. There are also meeting management software tools like
MeetingBooster which assist you in writing the agenda in an environment where participants can submit suggestions electronically.
Meetings can belong to a series of meetings which may span over weeks or months, so it is always suggested to review prior
meeting minutes to include parked topics or unresolved issues. You will find that often times there are repetitive topics in meetings that belong to a series.
Write the Agenda
After gathering the information and creating an outline of topics, you can finally start writing an agenda for the meeting. Lots of professionals use a standard Word processor or meeting management software like MeetingBooster to write an agenda. MeetingBooster’s agenda writing module allows you to quickly enter topics, topic durations and include file attachments. Remember to allocate adequate times for important topics.
Tips to writing an agenda for a meeting:
- Insert start and end time for each topic
- Make sure to set aside and insert time for breaks
- Have colleagues or other participants review your agenda
- Make sure to include preparation task
- Remember to distribute the agenda to participants before the meeting
Why use MeetingBooster to write your meeting agenda:
- Electronic topic suggestion system for participants
- Easy and effective tool to write and agenda
- Powerful time distribution tool
- Allocate pre-meeting tasks
- Automatically distribution of agenda
