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We’ve all been to unproductive meetings which are a waste of time and money. Whether it’s the wrong people in the room or irrelevant discussions the time you spend in meetings isn’t free. A well-organized agenda for meetings ensures that you accomplish the goal of your meeting and work closer toward company goals.

A clear and concise agenda makes everyone aware of the agenda for the meeting and also helps participants prepare for it. The best way to develop an effective agenda for your meeting is to include these essential components:

Define the goal of the meeting and list all expected outcomes of the meeting. This will keep you focused on the most important issues, and help avoid unnecessary side-bars.

Then for each item on the agenda, identify the topics to be discussed. This will include a brief description of the topic, who is responsible for the discussion and the amount of time that should be allocated to the discussion. It is also useful to include the location and the time zone of the meeting, especially for remote teams.

Consider listing each item on the agenda as a question that needs to be addressed by the group. (Example: “What steps should we follow to rent equipment?” ?”). The act of phrasing each discussion item as a question will stimulate discussion and help to clarify what’s expected during the meeting.

Include an explanation of the procedure you’re expecting to follow for each item on the agenda. This is a meeting element which is often neglected, but can significantly impact the effectiveness of a meeting. A clear process will help participants decide what to do with a subject that could lead to off-topic discussions or even a complete meeting derailment. Adding a process will allow participants to alter their comments to fit within the time allotted or to suggest that they have more time for a topic.