We need to have a meeting.

We hear that very often. But, do we really need a meeting? Maybe. Occasionally. Probably. Perhaps? Possibly not? Definitely! However you feel about meetings these days, if you are going to organize a meeting, you need to come up with a plan to make sure it doesn’t suck.

You want to plan a meeting that doesn’t suck? We can help you make sure it doesn’t suck.

Every good meeting will follow a published agenda.

Yes. An agenda. If the subject of the meeting doesn’t entice you and the calendar invite doesn’t have an agenda, ask the organizer for the agenda.

Yep, we know it. Most meetings suck. In fact, many people think meetings are a waste of time. Many workers cite inefficient meetings, and too many unnecessary meetings as a waste of their time. A study by Microsoft indicated that the average worker, was in eight (8) hours of meetings per week.

Commonly referred to as “Meeting creep”.

For the most part, this phenomenon started during the pandemic. This is when many employers and employees were still adjusting to remote work. They scheduled lots of meetings because, they wanted their individuals and teams to be in touch. Especially, new managers who were trying to figure out how to handle overseeing staff. At first, scheduling meetings and regular check-ins during the remote work week seemed like a good idea to many managers.

Recently, to combat this meeting overload, many organizations are incorporating, new ideas. Called meeting reduction initiatives, these same organizations are experimenting with new practices. Yep, it’s a fact. These include, “no meeting Wednesdays” and “no meeting month”. One organization I work with instituted no meeting Mondays. At least, this allows everyone one day of focused, independent work. Basically, the rule is there can be no client or external meetings on a Monday with this organization.

We recently read that Asana, an enterprise work management platform, already had a “No Meetings Wednesdays” policy. In addition, they now “allow workers to decline meeting invitations that they feel are not relevant to their work.” Since putting into motion the plan they call “Meetings Doomsday,” they claim that participants saved 11 hours per month. Consider that if a company has 30 employees at an average salary of $60k/year, this is a savings to the company of $123,750 per year in reclaimed time!

Turns out, when we plan a meeting, we want to make sure it doesn’t suck. One way we do that is to ensure there is an agenda.

there are still reasons to have in person meetings

Take a look at our first post in this Most Meetings Suck Series to see an outline of perfectly fine topics for meetings that are not a waste of time.

But, let me tell you even if I know that I’m having a meeting with my boss, my boss better plan a meeting that doesn’t suck. And, to do that, there better be an agenda.

Want to avoid the meeting suck? Build an agenda that sets the course for your meeting.

Every meeting needs an agenda.

Below is an outline of the elements which should be included, or at least considered for every meeting agenda:

Title and Details: Start with the title of the meeting. Include the date, time, and location (or virtual platform) of the meeting. Specify who is responsible for leading the meeting (facilitator) and who will be taking minutes (note-taker).

Objectives: Clearly outline the main objectives or goals of the meeting. What do you hope to accomplish by the end of the session?

Agenda Items: List the specific topics or agenda items to be discussed. Organize them in a logical order to ensure a smooth flow. Begin with any routine items such as approval of previous meeting minutes or follow-up on action items from the last meeting.

Time Allocation: Assign a realistic amount of time for each agenda item. This helps in managing the meeting duration and ensures that important topics receive adequate attention.

Participants’ Contributions: Identify who will lead the discussion for each agenda item. This could be the person responsible for that area, a team member, or a guest speaker.

Discussion Format: Specify how each agenda item will be discussed. For example, it could be an open discussion, a presentation followed by Q&A, or a decision-making session.

Any Other Business (AOB): Reserve a section at the end for any additional topics that may arise during the meeting but are not part of the initial agenda.

Next Steps and Action Items: End the agenda with a section for summarizing decisions made, actions to be taken, and responsibilities assigned. Set a date for the next meeting if applicable.

Note: Distribute the agenda well in advance of the meeting, allowing attendees to prepare.

You can read more about the study on meeting fatigue here

In case you find this post helpful, you might want to see the other KirCo posts on how to plan a meeting that doesn’t suck. So, you can check them out using the links below….

Part One – Plan a meeting that doesn’t suck – Have a clear goal for the meeting.

Part Two – Plan a meeting that doesn’t suck – The Who’s Who of meetings, invites matter.

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