Agenda means "things to be done". The agenda is a list of items to be discussed.  It is a meeting plan shared with meeting attendees.

The agenda serves as the guideline for the chairman/head of the meeting.

Agenda is prepared for ordinary business, or special business, appointments, declarations, changes in policies, etc. However, it can simply be the things to be discussed in your next meeting.

Following are some necessary things you can keep in mind while setting the agenda for your next meeting.

Writing an Effective Meeting Agenda tips

Tips and Tricks

  1. The agenda must be in writing.
  2. The items of the agenda must be in order.
  3. The draft of the Agenda should have simple and clear language.
  4. The agenda should be brief.
  5. The agenda should be sent before the meeting.
  6. A clear agenda would help the member(s) to participate actively in the meeting.
  7. Items of similar nature should be grouped together.
  8. The arrangements of items on agenda should be logical.
  9. Special items should be put later in order.
  10. Types of Agenda
    - Bare Statement Agenda: It is brief.
    - Draft Minutes Agenda: This is detailed.
  11. Use these sequence words to list the items- Firstly, secondly, after that, and then, finally, etc.
Writing an Effective Meeting Agenda phrases

Phrases

  1. Do we have any other business?
  2. Let's wrap up the meeting now.
  3. Here I'm, sorry for being late.
  4. I'd just opened the meeting, good to see you here.
  5. ...meet the huge demand
  6. I'd like you to lead on that, as you are the expert here.
  7. Thank you for coming, I will call to order now.
  8. There are four items on the agenda today, which we will discuss one by one.
  9. So, when are we going to start on our agenda?
  10. Do I need to know any specifics on the agenda which may need pre-planning?
  11. Please inform me beforehand if any suggestion(s) is required?
  12. Please inform me beforehand if any help is needed in setting the agenda?
  13. I request you to provide me with a broad overview of the agenda.
  14. It will be helpful for us if the agenda contains a clear CTA.
  15. I have prepared and sent you the agenda, please go over it.
  16. Would be great if you fulfil the CTA of the agenda before the deadline.
  17. Before we start the meeting, I need to go through informational items.
  18. Can you brief me on what's on the list?
  19. I think we need to have a proper resolution on agenda items.
  20. I guess the agenda is detailed under bullet points.
Writing an Effective Meeting Agenda vocabulary

Keywords

  1. Informational Items: Information Items are one of the three types of  Agenda Items. These are the points where updates about a topic, if any, are shared with the invitees (attendees).
  2. Meeting Facilitator: A meeting facilitator is a person who moderates the conversation during a meeting. He/she plays an important role in holding together the conversation.
  3. Invitees: A person(s) who is invited to a meeting.
  4. Call to Order: Calling to order implies the action of opening an agenda meeting formally.
  5. Roll Call: Roll call is an act of calling out the names of the attendees in the agenda meeting. This helps to know who is present, and who is not.
  6. Adjournment: It implies the suspension, or postponement of the agenda meeting.
  7. Discussion points: These are the topics or pieces of information which are to be discussed in the agenda meeting.
  8. Sequence: This is an order according to which items are listed in the agenda.
  9. Attentive: Having or paying attention closely to what is being said or told during a meeting is an act of being attentive.
  10. Brief: To brief someone is to provide him/her with one key piece of information about something.
  11. Minutes: Minutes of a meeting are important notes about the meeting. Minutes highlight the key issues discussed, and important actions taken during a particular meeting.
  12. Objective: The aim, or goal of the agenda, or agenda meeting.
  13. Discussion points: The topics of the agenda meeting.
  14. Prepping: The act of preparing something.
  15. Pain points: Specific problems which are faced by the customers of a particular product or service.
  16. Resolution: It is the final decision taken at a meeting.
  17. Overview: It is like a summary of the entire agenda meeting.
  18. Bullet points: These are short phrases, single sentences, or short paragraphs arranged in order. Bullet points discuss only the key information.
  19. Talking points: Talking points are a set (or a list) of clear, easily remembered phrases that give an outline of the proposal, project, or idea.
  20. Call to Action (CTA): It is a prompt to take a certain action.
Writing an Effective Meeting Agenda Dialogues

Dialogues

A: Hello B, can you just brief me about what's the agenda for our meeting next week?

B: Hey A, yes! Let me brainstorm, and then I will discuss them shortly.

A: Great! Let me know beforehand so that I can do some prepping.


A: Hi! Since we will be on Monday, let's decide our agenda before the meeting.

B: Hello! Good idea! So, what is required now for our project?

A: Let me check the points, please.


A: Hey! Do we have an agenda for the next meeting?

B: Yes. We do have. I am sending you the printable file of it.

A: That would be nice. Thanks!


A: Hello! Good morning/! How many items we are having on our agenda?

B: Good morning! Thank you for coming. There are five items on the agenda today.


A: Greetings! Do we have any special requirements for the next agenda? I'm asking so that I can prepare.

B: Hi, not yet. Though I'll inform you if any such thing(s) is needed.

A: Okay, please do let me know soon.


A: Hello! Since you told me that you're preparing an agenda for our next meeting, so, if any suggestion is required, please feel free to ask!

B: That's kind of you! I will definitely ask you for the same.

A: My pleasure here.


A: Hey, sorry I was not aware of the agenda for this meeting. Would you please let me know again?

B: It's okay, A. It was a mistake from my side since I didn't send it before the meeting. Will resend it meanwhile. Thank you!


A: Hello, B. What are the topics on agenda in the upcoming meeting?

B:  Hey, I will send the brief shortly.


A: Hi! It was great to discuss the agenda at the meeting today. Will you provide minutes too, so that I can take note of important stuff?

B: Hello! Thank you for being there. And sure, I will send it to you latest by tomorrow.

A: That's great! It will help remember me what was discussed.


A: Hello! I have a few important notes to discuss the agenda of the previous meeting. Shall we have a call today, at 4 pm?

B: Hey! I'm sorry, I'm afraid I may not be available at that time. Should we reschedule it for later?


A: Hello, I just wanted you to be informed to include all the items we agreed on to include in the next meeting's agenda. We may finalise everything in this meeting.

B: Hey! Thank you for reminding me. I also think that we should finalise the task plan in the next meeting's agenda. I will be soon working on setting the agenda.

A: Wonderful! Thank you for being attentive to my concerns.


A: Hi! I am a little bit unclear about the agenda. Can you brief me about the exact goals of the agenda of our next meeting?

B: Hi, B! It's simple. We are going to discuss our project thoroughly. The main purpose is to inform you about the nature, crucial details, tasks, and estimated deadlines of our project.

A: Very well! All of these things are indeed necessary. Thank you for confirming!


A: Hi! I just received the agenda in my email, thank you! I am having a query along with a suggestion. You there?

B: Hey! You can discuss it here. Please proceed.

A: Oh well! So.......


A: Hello! I anticipate that our agenda for the next meeting is set. If there are some documents or links which I should check, please send me those beforehand, so that I come prepped.

B: Excellent! I will send you the attachments in email. Thank you for taking a genuine interest, A. Truly appreciate that.

A: My pleasure, B.


A:  Hey! The agenda you just sent me is detailed enough. It seems it would take lots of time to discuss. Can you confirm how much time it will take?

B: Hello there! You're right. It is quite comprehensive. However, we shall discuss them in a short span. It should take just 1-2 hours.

A:  Oh great then, To save our time, I shall go over all the items before our meeting. Thanks!