If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, don’t worry because you’re not alone. We’ve all been in meetings that could have gone better. But no matter what, meetings are an essential part of team collaboration—and a timed agenda can help you make the most of your meetings. In addition, a timed agenda is a valuable tool for organizing more effective and efficient meetings by ensuring your team stays on-task and on-topic.
What is a timed agenda?
It’s just what the name says. It’s a way to assign time to each meeting agenda section. So, for example, you can choose exactly how much time you’d like to spend on reviewing metrics, checking in on tasks, discussing topics, etc. Then, after you allocate time to each of your agenda items, you can keep the time as you move through the meeting.
You will ensure your meeting stays on track while wrapping up on time by assigning times to agenda items. Likewise, it will encourage your teammates to come prepared to the meeting, ready to make decisions about particular topics.
Traditionally, agenda-setting is handled by one team member. But with The Pinnacle App, your meeting is linked to an automatic agenda and timer—allowing you to spend less time managing the meeting, and more time driving actionable, efficient results.
Timed meeting agenda tips
Our meeting experts chimed in with five tips to make sure that your timed agenda leads to a satisfactory meeting across the board:
- Be realistic. How much time will you need to discuss and complete each agenda item? Does your team agree with the times you set? Our timed agenda templates in the App will provide you with suggestions for each agenda section.
- Use your topic section throughout the meeting. Try to hold back from discussing topics as they arise. When a new topic comes up, just add it to your Topics list, and return to the agenda item at hand. Then, when it’s time to problem-solve, you’ll have all your topics documented and ready for discussion.
- Don’t spend too much time on one agenda section. If you find that one agenda section monopolizes your time or prevents you from discussing Topics, it’s time to take a step back. Ask yourself and the team if you came to the meeting prepared enough to make decisions. If not, take some Action Items for your next meeting and refocus on other, more pressing topics.
- Define the purpose of your meeting. Invite the most valuable participants to accomplish your meeting goals. If you’re unsure whether someone should attend, they probably shouldn’t (but it never hurts to ask!).
- Create your timed meeting agenda in advance. This has several advantages: you can share it with your team before the meeting, narrow down the meeting goals and help identify who should be in the meeting room.