All too often, I've been in meetings that have no agendas, no purpose, and no objectives. It's just a 1 hour 'team meeting'. I want all your meetings to be the one that everybody wants to attend, and one that is the best use of everybody's time. Here are my 10 tips for having an effective meeting.

1. AGENDAS FOR AN EFFECTIVE MEETING
Satoshi Takano, Professor, Humber College
cc: Breather - https://unsplash.com/@breather?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit

2. An effective agenda sets
clear expectations for what
needs to occur before and
during a meeting.
cc: andrea_sdl83 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/31818451@N00

3. It helps team members prepare,
allocates time, quickly gets
everyone on the same topic, and
identifies when the discussion is
complete.
cc: andrea_sdl83 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/31818451@N00

4. Here are 10 tips for
designing an effective
agenda
cc: Thomas Hawk - https://www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01

5. SEEK INPUT FROM TEAM MEMBERS
cc: Michael Seeley - https://www.flickr.com/photos/76093456@N04
1

6. Ask team members to suggest
agenda items along with a
reason why each item needs to
be addressed in a team setting.
cc: Tim Carey - https://unsplash.com/@baudy?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit

7. SELECT TOPICS THAT
AFFECT THE ENTIRE TEAM
cc: Corentin Marzin - https://unsplash.com/@emicorcatpit?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
2

8. Team meetings
should mainly be
used to discuss
and make
decisions on issues
that affect the
whole team — and
need the whole
team to solve
them
cc: Thought Catalog - https://unsplash.com/@thoughtcatalog?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit

9. LIST AGENDA TOPICS AS
QUESTIONS THE TEAM NEEDS TO
ANSWER
cc: cavale - https://www.flickr.com/photos/48556423@N00
3

10. A question enables team members
to better prepare for the discussion
and to monitor whether their own
and others’ comments are on track.
cc: Oberazzi - https://www.flickr.com/photos/42788859@N00

11. IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TOPIC
IS TO SHARE INFORMATION,
SEEK INPUT FOR A DECISION,
OR MAKE A DECISION
cc: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05
4

12. It’s difficult for team members to participate
effectively if they don’t know whether to simply
listen, give their input, or be part of the decision
making process.
If the purpose is to make a decision, state it.
cc: marfis75 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/45409431@N00

13. ESTIMATE A REALISTIC AMOUNT
OF TIME FOR EACH TOPIC
cc: Great Beyond - https://www.flickr.com/photos/26104563@N00
5

14. The purpose is to get better at
allocating enough time for the team
to effectively and efficiently answer
the questions before it.
cc: Gerrie van der Walt - https://unsplash.com/@gitfo?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit

15. PROPOSE A PROCESS FOR
ADDRESSING EACH AGENDA ITEM
cc: entertailion - https://www.flickr.com/photos/58907961@N06
6

16. The process identifies
the steps through
which the team will
move together to
complete the
discussion or make a
decision. Agreeing
on a process
significantly increases
meeting
effectiveness.
cc: `James Wheeler - https://www.flickr.com/photos/24128704@N08

17. SPECIFY HOW MEMBERS SHOULD
PREPARE FOR THE MEETING
cc: fakelvis - https://www.flickr.com/photos/40933543@N00
7

18. Distribute the agenda with sufficient time
before the meeting, so the team can read
background materials and prepare their
initial thoughts for each agenda item
ahead of time.
cc: Katie Smith - https://unsplash.com/@kati3j3an?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit

19. IDENTIFY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR LEADING EACH TOPIC
cc: Markus Leo - https://unsplash.com/@straightoutoflightroom?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
8

20. Someone other than the formal
meeting leader is often responsible
for leading the discussion of a
particular agenda item.
cc: andrewasmith - https://www.flickr.com/photos/40165565@N03

21. Identifying this person next to the agenda
item ensures that anyone who is
responsible for leading part of the
agenda knows it — and prepares for it —
before the meeting.
cc: andrewasmith - https://www.flickr.com/photos/40165565@N03

22. MAKE THE FIRST TOPIC
“REVIEW AND MODIFY
AGENDA AS NEEDED.”
cc: Sebastiaan ter Burg - https://www.flickr.com/photos/31013861@N00
9

23. Even if you and your team have jointly
developed the agenda before the
meeting, take a minute to see if
anything needs to be changed due to
late-breaking events.
cc: Breather - https://unsplash.com/@breather?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit

24. NO AGENDA, NO MEETING
cc: Aaron Burden - https://unsplash.com/@aaronburden?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
10

25. Even if you're the manager, always
have an agenda. The last thing you
want to do is to have a 'rant
session' where you're doing all the
talking.
cc: David Clode - https://unsplash.com/@davidclode?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit

26. Summary
• Seek input from team members
• Select topics that affect the entire team
• List agenda topics as questions the team
needs to answer
• Is the purpose to share information, seek
inpute for a decision, or make a decision
• Estimate a realistic amount of time for
each topic
cc: marten vaher - https://www.flickr.com/photos/7319418@N07

27. Summary
• Propose a process for addressing each
agenda item
• Specify how members should prepare for
the meeting
• Identify who is responsible for leading
each topic
• Make the first topuc "Review / Modify
agenda
• NO AGENDA, NO MEETING
cc: marten vaher - https://www.flickr.com/photos/7319418@N07

28. AGENDAS FOR AN EFFECTIVE MEETING
Satoshi Takano, Professor, Humber College
cc: Breather - https://unsplash.com/@breather?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit