Is a great agenda really the cornerstone of a successful meeting? Yes, if the agenda is written before the meeting and the meeting leader gets everyone’s agreement on the agenda at the beginning of the meeting. Once everyone agrees on the agenda, it’s easier to stick to it. A truly effective agenda is written using the 3 T’s rule. The 3 T’s are Time, Topic, and Talker.

  • Time It will include the actual start and end time of the meeting and each item on the agenda. If you create a future meeting agenda at the end of a current meeting, the group can estimate the time in minutes. These estimated minutes will be converted to clock hours before the future meeting begins. Having the time on the agenda keeps meetings on track and allows the group to track their progress on each item.
  • Issue includes a list of action items that the group must complete to support the main purpose or goal of the meeting. These items should be written using action words such as discuss, review, brainstorm, decide, assign, or report. This will help the group or presenters understand what is expected of them during each item on the agenda. When listing items on the agenda, make sure that the most important items are listed first so they can be completed before the meeting closes.
  • talking is a person responsible for each item listed on the agenda, such as a presenter or facilitator. They will lead that part of the meeting to give information or lead processes. For items that require the active participation of the entire group, such as discussion or decision-making, the speaker should be listed as “Everyone.”

If an effective meeting is desired, then a great agenda will ensure success. Create a meeting agenda using the 3 T’s of Time, Topic, and Speaker. Then, at the beginning of the meeting, make sure everyone agrees on the agenda before moving on with the meeting.

NOTE: The 3Ts are adapted from the book “RA!RA! A Meeting Wizard’s Approach” by Shirley Fine Lee copyright 2007.