What the Science Says about Meeting Agendas May Surprise You…

Pete is at his desk working on an exciting solution designed to solve a problem his customer is having. Time is flying by, he is energized, and he is in the zone.  In the distance, he hears his phone “ring” with a reminder to attend his weekly department meeting.   Unlike Pavlov’s dogs who drool with anticipation of a treat at such a sound, Pete is filled with dread. He enters the conference room and is handed the meeting agenda.  Although a few words have been changed, it is basically the same stale agenda delivered each week with only one difference: the date has been updated.  His “treat” is another wasted hour from work he needed and wanted to do.

It is hard to find a business book on meetings that does not start with the importance of a meeting agenda.  However, research on agendas is far from enthusiastic.  In fact, agendas in and of themselves do little to fundamentally improve meetings.  Given estimates that 50% of agendas are merely recycled meeting to meeting, these null findings should come as no surprise. Pete’s experience is clearly not unique.  In this essay I will discuss a three step plan, leveraging meeting science, to avoid the generic-agenda-pitfall.   I will conclude with a new paradigm around agenda creation that might just rock your meeting world.  Here is a teaser - consider framing your agendas not as topics to be addressed, but as questions to be answered, and if you can’t generate questions, that is your sign that the meeting is not needed.

Step 1: What Should be Included in the Meeting?

While meetings can certainly have an “update” component, which is only natural, this should be a small part of the meeting.  If the topic does not... READ MORE