He Who Controls the Agenda

Meetings, meetings, meetings!  Some days, it seems like there is an endless stream of meetings.  Meetings in the morning, meetings in the afternoon and then synagogue meetings in the evening.  (Heavy sigh) 

Yes, meetings are a great way to share ideas, communicate information, and work together for a common goal.  Meetings with a purpose are great!  Meetings that meander aimlessly over the horizon is time that one will never get back.  I have been in meetings that are run well and meetings that are less well run.  I have been in meetings where the overall atmosphere is congenial, pleasant and well participated, and I have been in meetings where rudeness, fear of opening one’s mouth and being all over the place are par for the course.  The people that seem most organized are not necessarily the one’s who run organized meetings and vice versa.

I was taught somewhere a long time ago, that meetings should have the following:

• A purpose – which is stated at the onset so everyone in attendance knows why they are meeting
• An agenda – which provides the topics to be discussed and the flow of the meeting
• A timekeeper (utilized at Toastmasters) –  someone who keeps everyone on track to limit speaking time and to ensure the start and end time of the meeting
• A scribe – someone who keeps the notes to be distributed after the meeting.  In smaller meetings, this person can be the leader of the meeting
• A leader – someone who provides the agenda and moderates the flow of the meeting, making sure everyone stays focused on the topic (purpose) at hand.

The truth is, depending on the size and purpose of the meeting, the same points hold true, even if the meeting’s leader holds all of the roles (not as efficient in larger meetings).  Once you, as the leader, control the agenda, you can control the meeting.  Once you cede control of the agenda, you can lose control of the meeting.  Do not get me wrong, meetings are good, they are an important means of communicating information, and a valuable way to allocate time in a group setting.  Controlling the agenda assists in making sure that the topics covered are relevant, there is focus to the meeting and a means for future achievements.