Meetings can either be a waste of time or an effective way to achieve an outcome. Hosting a successful meeting is more than luck. It takes careful planning and consideration of what you expect to accomplish.

There’s no need to lose sleep worrying about hosting a meeting, says Bob Gardner, ACHC Corporate Strategy Manager. Plan ahead by using an agenda to make your presentation a success.

An agenda? But that’s so old-fashioned — is it really necessary?

Yes, it is.

Even today, an agenda remains an essential planning tool for pursuing and achieving meeting objectives. It succinctly describes the purpose of the meeting and helps the host and attendees better focus on what’s at hand.

For the host, an agenda:

• Defines the outcomes the host is trying to achieve.
• Helps the host control the meeting by pre-assessing meeting time management and the flow of the presentation.

For attendees, it:

• Describes what the meeting is about.
• Gives details supporting the length of the meeting.
• Provides information that helps those with schedule conflicts decide if the meeting is essential for them to attend.

For everyone, it:

• Outlines key topics so all in attendance can track targeted outcomes.

At the end of the meeting, Gardner suggests quickly highlighting accomplishments. This validates that the purpose of the meeting was achieved while acknowledging that the right attendees were invited and that they used their time wisely. Also, praising accomplishments makes attendees feel better about themselves and their contributions to the organization.