Making Meetings Work – Creating an

Effective Agenda and Managing your

Meeting for Success
Building an Effective Agenda
 Essential Elements of an Agenda
• Purpose • Topics
• Place: location, time, • Timing and
date, call-in number scheduling
(as indicated)
• Defining responsible
• Invitees
person (s)
• Time for
introductions, as • Wrap up
needed
 Sample Agenda
Business communication Work Group
August 16, 2018
1-4 pm
Conf Room 1-4, knowledge park

Purpose: Review Annual Preferred Formulary Use

Invited: Greg Sachs: chair, David Ruben, Todd Semla, Cheryl Phillips
Staff: Nancy Lundebjerg

Time Item Action Responsible

1:00 Introductions All

1:10 Consent Calendar X G. Sachs

a. Minutes may 6th 2018
b. UM report: I Care Med Group
c. Recommended changes to mail order Rx list

1:15 Drug Recommended for X

Addition to Formulary D. Ruben
C. Phillips

1:45 Drugs Recommended for X

Removal from formulary

2:15 “Educational Detailing” T. Semla

2:25 Wrap-up and evaluation G. Sachs

Next Meeting
November 7th 2018
 Background to Successful
Meetings
• Great meetings don’t just happen.
• Is it merely the “right mix of people”?
• We can’t always predict the outcome of a
meeting, but we can certainly have a
significant role in guiding the process.
Making the Agenda Work for You
• Balance Time and Topic
• Consider the order:
– Priority topics
– Topics likely to take extra time
• Send out the agenda prior
• Define the action items
• Distribute support materials
• Use Consent Calendar, as appropriate, for
reports and simple approvals
Common Errors We all Make
• Too many topics, not enough time!
• “Pop-up” agenda items at meeting
• “Didn’t see that one coming…”
Extended discussion time
• “So, what do you need me to do?”
• “Wow, that’s not what I heard!”
• “Are we done yet?”
 Essential Elements to a Successful
Meeting
Preparation
work before Oversight to
the meeting assigned work
after the
Leadership meeting
during the
meeting
 Before the Meeting
• Determine the type of meeting
• Decide the purpose of this specific
meeting and what you want to
accomplish.

• Plan and distribute the agenda

• Review and distribute all related

materials, including Consent Agenda
items
 Before the Meeting (cont’d)

• Meet with key stakeholders

• Review action items from the previous
meeting.
• Anticipate potential conflict
 During the Meeting

 Manage time (including starting

and stopping)
 Set the tone with welcomes and
introductions
 Review the agenda
 Lead the discussion and keep it on
track
 During the Meeting (cont’d)

• Ensure that “all • Clarify work

voices are heard” assignments,
• Oversee the times lines and
recording of the accountabilities
meeting • Lead wrap-up
and meeting
evaluation
Leading Effective Discussions

• Open the Discussion

• Listen
• Ask for Clarification
• Summarize Points
• Test for Agreement
• Close the Discussion
 Part A Nominal Group Technique:
Generating Ideas

• Define the task in the form of a question

• Clarify the question that will provide both the
purpose and the intended outcome of the
discussion
• Allow time to generate ideas.
• List ideas without discussion as to whether
they are “good” or “bad”
• Clarify each of the ideas listed, make sure
everyone understands the intent or wording.
Part B Nominal Group Technique: Moving
to Decision

• Eliminate/combine
overlap ideas
• Use process to rank as a
group
• Reach conclusion based
on group input
• Check for “heart burn”.
 Remember…

Consensus does not

mean agreement

Voting is not the

same as data
collection
 Working Towards Successful Consensus

• Practice active listening

• Encourage all team members to participate.
• Seek out differences of opinion
• Avoid quickly choosing a solution;
understand the question first
• Consider the time needed.
• Check understanding.
 Strategies to Minimize
Indecisiveness
• Get the agenda out early.

• Involve key decision-makers

• Work on a series of decisions. This

can help get to the “big picture”
 After the Meeting
Effective minutes need to include the
following elements:
• The name of the meeting and the date,
place and time
• Who was in attendance A list of the
agenda items covered
• A summary of the motions or decisions
• A BRIEF summary of key discussion
points
• Assignments: what is assigned, who is
responsible and when it is due