Agenda fit check
Send with the draft agenda: whether the plan fits what people need, while there is still time to change it.
Worth a look
- Why work doesn't happen at workJason Fried, TEDBasecamp's co-founder on why he calls meetings toxic, and what to try instead. (opens in a new tab)
- How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetingsDavid Grady, TEDMindless Accept Syndrome: why we say yes to meetings with no agenda, and a polite way to stop. (opens in a new tab)
- 3 steps to turn everyday get-togethers into transformative gatheringsPriya Parker, TEDMost meetings fail before they start because nobody decided what they're for. A professional facilitator's fix. (opens in a new tab)
- Maker's Schedule, Manager's SchedulePaul GrahamWhy one 2pm meeting can wreck a whole afternoon for some people and cost others nothing. Explains a lot about who hates meetings. (opens in a new tab)
- Jeff Bezos on banning Powerpoint in meetings at AmazonLex Fridman Podcast ClipsAmazon meetings start with everyone silently reading a six-page memo. Bezos on why that beats slides. (opens in a new tab)
The conviction read: a hedged agree on 'covers what I most need' is a need the plan misses, the kind you would otherwise hear in the last ten minutes. A draft agenda sent out for comments mostly gets silence, which reads as a yes.
What's in the template
- The agenda covers what I most need from this session. puck
- The time given to each part looks right. puck
- I can see why each part is on the agenda. puck
- There's room for the questions I'm bringing. puck
- The goals look realistic for the time we have. puck
- I know what to prepare before we meet. puck
Questions about this template
How far ahead should the draft agenda go out?
Early enough that you can still change the agenda after the answers come in, and late enough that the draft is close to final. Send the link with the draft itself so people read it before answering.
What if 'The time given to each part looks right' gets a wide spread?
Often some people want more time on one part and others on another. Ask in your next message which part feels short, and check the spread on 'covers what I most need' before moving time around.