3.7 KiB
Meeting Intelligence - Agenda Structure Guide
Professional Agenda Format
A well-structured meeting agenda serves as both a preview for participants and a guide for the meeting facilitator.
Essential Components
1. Header Information
Meeting: [Clear, Descriptive Title]
Date: [Date and Time with Timezone]
Duration: [e.g., 60 minutes]
Location/Link: [Physical location or Zoom link]
Organizer: [Who's running the meeting]
2. Purpose Statement Clear, 1-2 sentence description of why this meeting exists and what success looks like.
3. Attendees
- Required attendees with roles
- Optional attendees
- Guest speakers (if any)
4. Pre-Read Materials
- What should attendees review before the meeting
- Location/links to key documents
- Time to review suggested (e.g., 10 minutes)
Agenda Items Template
For each agenda item, include:
## [Time] - [Topic Title]
**Purpose:** Why are we discussing this?
**Key Questions:** What do we need to decide/understand?
**Owner:** Who is leading this discussion?
**Expected Outcome:** What should we have when done?
**Materials:**
- [Link to relevant doc]
- [Link to data/metrics]
Timing Guidelines
Total meeting time: 60 minutes
| Duration | Time per Item | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 5-7 min | Status update | Updates from team |
| 60 min | 10-15 min | Decision | Technical approach choice |
| 90 min | 15-20 min | Deep dive | Specification review |
| 120 min | 20-30 min | Planning | Sprint planning |
Rule of Thumb: Each agenda item should take 30% longer than you think to avoid rushing.
Different Meeting Types
Executive Status Meeting
- Quick wins/metrics (5 min)
- Blockers/risks (10 min)
- Key decisions needed (10 min)
- Q&A (5 min)
Sprint Planning
- Goal review & context (10 min)
- Backlog review (20 min)
- Capacity planning (15 min)
- Sprint goal finalization (10 min)
- Q&A (5 min)
1-on-1 Conversation
- How are you doing? (5 min)
- Work update (10 min)
- One development area (10 min)
- Support/help needed (5 min)
Cross-functional Kickoff
- Project overview (10 min)
- Success criteria (10 min)
- Team roles (10 min)
- Timeline/milestones (10 min)
- Q&A (10 min)
Internal Pre-Read vs. External Agenda
Internal Pre-Read (Team Only)
- Honest assessment and context
- Sensitive business information
- Detailed background
- Strategic rationale
- Concerns and risks
External Agenda (All Participants)
- Focused objectives
- Clear decisions needed
- Professional tone
- Time allocations
- Preparation requirements
Creating Effective Agendas
Do: ✓ Include time allocations ✓ State clear objectives for each item ✓ Link to relevant materials ✓ Designate topic owners ✓ Leave buffer time ✓ End with clear next steps
Don't: ✗ Create vague agenda items ("Miscellaneous") ✗ Overload meetings with too many topics ✗ Forget time allocations ✗ Create agendas without objectives ✗ Ignore pre-read materials ✗ Skip attendee confirmations
Post-Meeting Update
After the meeting:
## Decisions Made
- [Decision 1 and rationale]
- [Decision 2 and rationale]
## Action Items
| Owner | Task | Deadline |
|-------|------|----------|
| | | |
## Next Meeting
- Date/Time:
- Purpose:
- Tentative Topics:
Agenda Best Practices
- Share Early: Send 24+ hours before meeting
- Collaborative: Encourage attendees to suggest additions
- Time-Boxed: Be realistic about timing
- Prioritized: Put critical items first
- Flexible: Build in buffer for important discussions
- Connected: Link to related materials and decisions
- Documented: Keep for future reference