Old School, but it works. Like much ‘Old School’. The Agenda

Many meetings are madness; meetings without an agenda are chaos.

If you receive a meeting invitation without a goal and/or an agenda, here is a suggested reply: ‘Looking forward to it. Could you send the goal and agenda so I can prepare?’ Too often, we receive a calendar invite titled ‘Quick catch-up,’ ‘Touch base’, or ‘Sync,’ and we dutifully show up, not knowing what we are meant to discuss, decide, or achieve. Without that aim and agenda, it is not an effective use of your time, and thus, respectfully decline.

You, on the other hand, will behave differently: before any meeting you initiate, circulate a document that states: o the purpose: why are we meeting? o the desired outcome: what decision or clarity do we need by the end? o the items to cover: a small list of specific topics, with time distributed to each. o the pre-reading: anything people should review beforehand.

This takes five minutes to prepare (if it is not quick and easy to prepare then you are not ready to call a meeting!) and saves hours of meandering conversation. Be respectful of the recipients’ time, be clear, and succinct and prepare attachments with care.

Action: Only offer meetings with a goal and agenda. Only attend meetings with both. Respect the time of others; ask that others do the same of yours.