Is it acceptable to schedule a meeting without agenda?
Is it acceptable to schedule a meeting without agenda?
Agendas and meetings go together like Ant and Dec, like Batman and Robin, like the sun and an ice-cold pint of beer. You can’t have one without the other. Okay maybe don’t hold us to the beer comment, we by no means are telling you to drink every time it's sunny! However, agendas are very important to the smooth running of a meeting, so we asked 200 people their thoughts on whether they find it acceptable to schedule a meeting without having a clear agenda that allows participants to prep having known the topic prior to the meeting.
Through our results we discovered the following:
Yes: 17%
No: 65%
It depends: 19%
However, some of the comments we received seemed a bit more varied on response.
A common theme seemed to be that it largely depended on the formality of the meeting. Best summed up in our comments area by one participant with the following:
“Depends on the nature of the meeting and if sensitive issues are being discussed.”
I think this is a very valid point and holds a lot of weight in this discussion as an agenda for a team catch-up seems overkill, not to say that they shouldn’t be made aware of the nature of the meeting in advance though. Participants of the poll mentioned that relationships with other meeting participants also play a big part in this discussion. If they have met everyone in previous meetings, they’ll have an idea on how the discussion will go. They state that “If I am invited to a meeting where I know the organiser well then, I also know it would be important for me to attend, and that it's likely they have an informal agenda or points to discuss.
"If I don't know them well, then I would feel a bit confused and unprepared as to why I was invited without any knowledge of what the meeting was about.”
It seems that in general, participants agree that in a formally set meeting, it is important to have a meeting agenda set out beforehand to allow sufficient preparation from participants. One participant summed it up brilliantly by stating “One of the most important aspects of meeting etiquette is to respect and cherish everyone's time, so having a clear agenda is really important. It doesn't have to be very detailed so there is still flexibility to explore new ideas, but there should be a sense of what the meeting is about and what all parties hope to achieve. Basically, you want people to leave feeling 'that was useful'. Unfortunately, all too often people leave meetings feeling like it was a waste of their precious time.” As you know, keeping meeting etiquette is important for having a smooth run in any meeting and many people see having a clear agenda as a part of good meeting etiquette. Just remember, your agenda doesn’t have to be the most in-depth detailed agenda in the world, it just needs to set a basic outline of the aims of your meeting so you aren’t blindsiding anyone with a meeting topic that they haven’t been able to prepare for.
So, Should All Meetings Have an Agenda?
When An Agenda Is Necessary
The primary purpose of scheduling a meeting is typically to discuss business matters and make decisions. If you don’t have an agenda prior to the next meeting date, that purpose is unclear, and your team won't be prepared for the discussion. Additionally, having an agenda allows your team to prepare in advance—in some cases, even days or weeks ahead—so they know what topics will be addressed and can come into the meeting prepared with their own ideas and insights. Your team will be able to cover all important details and present necessary supporting documents during the meeting. Having an agenda also helps save time during the actual meeting because everyone is already familiar with the topics at hand.
On top of that, it's crucial for meetings to stay on track and cover all relevant topics in order for them to be effective. Without an agenda, it's easy for conversations to veer off-topic and cause the entire team to get sidetracked for hours on end without actually accomplishing anything meaningful. An agenda should provide structure so that all topics are discussed in turn and meetings don't drag on endlessly without any resolution or conclusion whatsoever.
When Agendas Aren't Necessary
There are certain circumstances when it's acceptable not to have an agenda prior to scheduling a meeting—such as when you're starting out your business or first creating a team dynamic within your organization. In these cases, the best approach may be simply bringing your team together so everyone can share their opinions on how things should work moving forward, what processes need improvement, etc. It may also be necessary not to have an agenda if you're dealing with unexpected issues that arise suddenly—for example, when trying to determine how best to handle customer complaints after a product recall or major issue surfaces unexpectedly.
Pros And Cons Of Meeting Without Agenda Online
Virtual meetings have the potential to be easier and more challenging than traditional meetings. The organizing process is less difficult since team members do not need to travel. No need to book a room to meet the needs. However, attendees can easily be distracted by online sessions or multitasking on other matters. Setting and maintaining accurate virtual session minutes is therefore essential.
Having an agenda for your meeting is important because it helps you keep your discussion on track and focused. It also gives each participant a clear understanding of the purpose of the meeting and what will be discussed. A good agenda template should include the topics that need to be addressed, who needs to speak on each topic, and how long each segment should last. This helps ensure that all participants can adequately prepare for the meeting and that everyone is on the same page during the discussion.
- The Pros of Agenda-Less Meetings
There are some scenarios where having a meeting without agenda altogether can be beneficial. For example, if your team is working on a project together and needs to brainstorm ideas or come up with solutions to specific problems, then an unstructured meeting may be more effective than one with a strict agenda. This is because open conversations and brainstorming sessions allow everyone to bring their own ideas to the table and collaborate in real time.
- The Cons of Agenda-Less Meetings
While there are some advantages to having an unstructured discussion, most meetings should have an agenda in order for them to be productive and successful. Without one, people tend to feel less engaged in the conversation, as they don’t have any clear goals or objectives they need to meet. Furthermore, if everyone knows that there isn’t going to be an agenda, they won’t prepare ahead of time and will likely come into the meeting unprepared. This can lead to conversations that lack focus and end up going nowhere.
At the end of the day, it really depends on why you’re having a meeting in the first place. If it’s just a casual gathering or brainstorming session then sure—skipping an agenda may work out fine. But if you want your meeting to be productive and focused then it’s best practice to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of what will be discussed beforehand so that people can prepare accordingly and get the most out of their time together. As business owners, we should always strive for efficiency and effectiveness—both when scheduling our meetings as well as during them!
Improve Your Virtual Meetings in Four Easy Steps
Meetings are a necessary part of running a successful business, but they can be time-consuming and unproductive. That’s why it’s important to make sure that all meetings are effective, efficient, and focused.
- Take Detailed Notes During the Meeting
The first step in improving future meetings is to take detailed notes during the meeting. This is important because it allows everyone to stay on track and ensure that all topics discussed are addressed. Additionally, it should also help eliminate any confusion or misunderstandings between team members. Taking good notes also serves as a reference point for future meetings because you can refer to past notes if needed.
- Assign Clear Action Items During the Meeting
The second step in improving future meetings is to assign clear action items during the meeting. This means assigning specific tasks or goals to each person in attendance so that everyone knows exactly what needs to be done following the meeting. It also ensures that no one person is left feeling overwhelmed by too many tasks or responsibilities. Assigning clear action items also helps keep everyone accountable for their part in achieving success.
- Share The Meeting Notes With All Attendees
The third step in improving future meetings is to share the meeting notes with all attendees after the meeting has concluded. Sharing the meeting summary allows everyone to stay up-to-date on progress made and provides a way for people who weren’t able to attend the meeting to catch up on what was discussed. Additionally, virtual meeting minutes serve as easy reference points so that team members can look back at past decisions or conversations if needed.
- Include A Note Highlighting What Was Agreed In The Meeting
The fourth and final step in improving future meetings is to include a note highlighting what was agreed upon during the meeting when sharing the notes with all attendees after it has concluded. This ensures that any agreements made during the meeting are clear and that there are no discrepancies regarding what was decided upon by all parties involved in attendance at said meeting(s). This will help prevent any confusion or disagreements amongst meeting attendees going forward as everyone will be aware of what was agreed upon from start-to-finish regarding every topic discussed during said meetings(s).
Meeting Without Agenda? Never Again! Power Up Your Meetings With A Time-Boxed Agenda With Eric.ai
Make your meetings more effective and productive with Eric.ai. Eric.ai is your AI note taker that can help you keep track of agendas during online meetings! This AI assistant can automatically summarize a meeting and integrate seamlessly into Microsoft Teams. Take advantage of its features that make it easy to set up agenda timing, assign tasks, and view everything in the sidebar—all without ever leaving the meeting app. A range of agenda templates are available in its library and you can create your own collection of agendas.
So, sit back as Eric helps you save valuable time during each session – take advantage of its intelligence today! Give it a try today and automatically set an agenda with every meeting you have!
