How to write an effective team meeting agenda (with templates!) - Work Life by Atlassian (2023)

Imagine yourself working to your knees, laser focused and ready to tackle the next task on your long list. Nothing can stand in your way... except that meeting you have in 10 minutes. Now imagine walking away from this meeting inspired and motivated - even excited. And still fearedcontext switch, you can pick up right where you left off with even more fuel in the tank. Meetings are so productive and effectivehe mustmake you feel But how do you get there?

Your secret weapon might just be a team meeting agenda. Often neglected, this handy tool can go a long way in making in-person or virtual meetings more effective. This helps manage time, set expectations, and stay on task. Agendas ensure you have a clear purpose and can achieve set goals, whether it's planning your quarterly budget or creating a project timeline - real, shareable results. Team meeting agendas also help you prioritize what you want to talk about so you can guide your team through the hot topics of the week.

Running productive and fruitful meetings doesn't always come naturally, and that's okay. Follow these helpful tips for creating an effective team meeting agenda, including some free templates to get you started and a video with tips on how Atlassian approaches meeting agendasAtlassian UniversityCourseHow to hold effective meetings.

What is a team meeting agenda?

A team meeting agenda is an organized, planned list of topics and action items that you want to discuss with your team during a meeting. It's designed to help you prioritize the most important issues and keep things running smoothly and efficiently so your team leaves the meeting feeling motivated and aligned. But don't just jot down a simple list of topics and put a timestamp next to each one; In fact, it takes a lot of thought and effort to put together an effective team meeting agenda.

5 tips for creating an effective team meeting agenda

The most effective team meeting agendas are well planned, clear, and concise. This is where it really helps to step back and put yourself in your team's shoes. Make sure you consider your audience and what they already know; the purpose of your meeting (are you trying to solve a problem, brainstorm, or make a decision; and how can you make your meeting as engaging and memorable as possible?

After reviewing the agenda items, all team members should understand the purpose of the meeting and their roles in it, as well as anything they need to prepare, such as: B. Questions about a specific project or deadline. This type of preparation eliminates distractions and maintains momentum, resulting in a more productive meeting. Here are five ways to create an effective team meeting agenda.

1. Customize your agenda for each meeting.Not all meetings are created equal, and not all agendas should be. Maybe your weekly team meeting agenda needs space for wins and praise, but your workshop meeting agenda doesn't. Since there are many types of meetings, do your best to make your agenda appropriate for your meeting and your team.
2. Prioritize your agenda items.You are the heart of your entire meeting - the reason(s) you decided it was worth pulling everyone off of your work and discussing every topic. For this reason, it is absolutely necessary to prioritize each item from highest priority to lowest, with the understanding that if you run out of time, you will send the lower priority items to the next meeting.
3. include aicebreakeror anotherteam building activity.Icebreakers set a more casual tone (if that's what you want) and serve as a way to involve everyone on the team. But think about the size of your team and the length of your meeting. A complex icebreaker with 20 participants can take up your entire meeting.
4. Allow enough time for questions and discussions.A well-planned meeting takes more than 60 seconds for questions at the end. Allow enough time to discuss your agenda items and encourage participation. Instead of asking, "Do you have any questions?" Try rephrasing it as "What questions do you have?" It's much easier to shake your head and get on with the day than pondering agenda item questions. This can also spark healthy debates and arguments.
5. End on a positive note.Take a few minutes to offer a few compliments to your team members to make them feel valued and motivated—when was the last time you got a thank you note and did it?not lesswork later? Whether you're calling individuals or thanking everyone as a group, your team will see that their hard work doesn't go unnoticed.

At a more detailed level, here are some features that form the core of most or all team meeting agendas.

What should all team meeting agendas include?

Every team meeting agenda should include the following basic elements to keep everyone on the same page:

• Date, time and place:These details are especially important for distributed teams. Make sure you know where everyone is located and what time zone you are in. As for the location, these days it can be a Zoom link or another chat channel and not a physical location, so don't forget to include that as well.
• Purpose and goals:Use this as your North Star. Ask yourself, “What is this meeting? What am I trying to make of this?” Be upfront about it with everyone else so everyone is on the same page and focused on the task at hand.
• Moderator and participants:You don't necessarily have to be present, but keeping track of who is leading the program can inform team members who to notify if they are unable to attend the meeting or have something to add to the agenda.
• Agenda items:The purpose of agenda items is to make it clear to the team what topics you will be discussing, what you want to achieve with that item, and what action needs to be taken. Be brief andAvoid using technical jargonSo everyone has a clear idea of ​​what to expect.
• Time for each topic:Providing an estimated time for each agenda item is critical to keeping your meeting on track and at pace.
• Team entry:Whether you're making an icebreaker or not, take the time to check on the well-being of your team members.It's important to show compassionand make sure they know you're also concerned about factors that might affect them outside of work. Check-ins also make it easier for your team to get into the meeting before jumping straight into business.

It is also important to note that agendas must be distributed to all attendees for at least one dayBeforethe meeting. This ensures your team has a chance to review what projects and tasks are covered so they're prepared for the discussion. You might also get feedback from your team if you missed a thing or two.

Atlassian approach to team meeting agendas

Curious about how we approach meeting agendas at Atlassian? Watch this clip from Mark Cruth, Atlassian's Modern Work Specialist and Resident Evangelist. With a focus on practice rather than theory, Mark spends his days coaching Atlassian and client teams on new ways of working.

Sign up for more handy tipsHow to hold effective meetingshistory ofAtlassian University- It's totally free.

Team meeting agenda templates to get you started

You may be wondering if it's worth making a schedule. While it can be a lot of work up front, the time spent creating a clear agenda can be offset by the efficiency of your now extremely productive meeting.

There are many free templates to choose from online - feel free to customize them to meet the specific needs of your meeting. To get started, check out our best Confluence team meeting agenda templates (downloadable with a free account) and find out how to customize each one.

• All hands agenda template
• Remote team meeting agenda template
• Workshop meeting agenda template
• Brainstorming meeting agenda template
• Problem solving agenda template