It’s one thing being able to compile an efficient agenda, but another to know how to use it successfully.
The chairperson might well be unaware of what an agenda really means – as distinct from what they think it means. There are seven key basic components as follows:
- The title, date and place of the meeting
- Apologies for absence
- Minutes of the previous meeting (if applicable)
- Matters arising from previous meeting (if applicable)
- Other items to be discussed or discarded
- Any other business, list what is known
- Date, time and place of next meeting
Everyone who should be consulted, should be consulted when constructing the agenda. It’s not always wise to leave it just to the chairperson and it’s good manners. It also makes for a more efficient meeting if everyone is fully briefed in advance.
The objective is to get the fullest possible participation from attendees. One way of transparently demonstrating your collegiate approach is to circulate the first draft of your agenda and then invite others to add to it. However, do this only with the written proviso that while as chairperson you invite additions and your promise is to give each addition due consideration, your decision is final. This means that there are only a limited number of additions and only the best ones will be added.
Emotionally mature and genuinely self-confident chairpeople are always open to the possibility that it isn’t necessary for everyone to be there all of the time during a meeting! Once their agenda point has been covered and you are certain that their continued attendance is now purely observatory, then there is absolutely nothing wrong in a person exiting, especially given today’s intense pressure to achieve business efficiency, especially time efficiency in all things. Their surplus time could probably be better unlisted elsewhere. Be very sure though than in so doing, the exiting individual is not being marginalised during the decision-making process.
Wise and enlightened agenda keepers allow each person the opportunity to speak and are rigorous in imposing discipline, especially where there is a possibility of somebody ridiculing or otherwise negatively commenting on a response to an agenda point.
As a communication tool, the agenda has an influence on its audience. If an issue, theme or idea is prioritised on the agenda, then it must be important, people will turn their attention to it. The power is that you have control over what the attendees see as important, so use it wisely.
