What is a team meeting agenda?

An employee meeting agenda is a schedule of topics to cover in a meeting. It lets participants know what you intend to cover, serves as a time-management tool and helps you hold more focused and productive discussions.

Before creating an agenda, it can help to identify the purpose of the business meeting. Then, determine the action items needed to achieve the defined outcomes. You can also request topic ideas from attendees to ensure all essential issues are covered.

What to include in a team meeting agenda

Every meeting will have a different agenda. For example, a project meeting will likely have a narrower scope than a board meeting. Regardless of the meeting type, the agenda should include only the subjects necessary to achieve the purpose.

Potential agenda items include:

• Company or department announcements
• Recognition of employee achievements
• Project updates
• Action items
• Upcoming project deadlines
• Decisions about team projects
• Team member topics

Carefully review the list of topics and keep only those that are directly relevant. Focused agendas facilitate actionable and engaging meetings that make the most of employees’ time.

How to create a meeting agenda

Consider these steps to create an effective agenda for a team meeting:

1. Determine the goals you want to accomplish during the meeting

Set the goals for the meeting. Some meetings will have multiple smaller objectives, while others will have a single goal. For example, if you’re holding a meeting with the marketing department, your goals might be to select a final ad design concept and brainstorm initial ideas for an upcoming campaign.

Based on this goal, make a list of topics to cover. If an item isn’t directly relevant, keep it in mind for a future meeting.

2. Develop a list of attendees

Use your defined goals to determine who to invite to the meeting. For efficiency, include only the employees who need to participate in the discussion. You can send out notes later to inform the rest of the team.

3. Ask team members for topic ideas

Send your meeting goal and initial list of topics to attendees, and ask them to contribute any additional items they need to cover. You might share this several days in advance to give them time to prepare to make announcements, ask questions or give a presentation. Requesting input helps engage team members, encourage active participation, share project updates or address key issues.

Add relevant items to the agenda. If possible, assign each new topic to a specific team member.

4. Estimate how long each agenda item should take

Allot a specific amount of time for each agenda item. You may need to reach out to specific employees to determine how long each discussion or presentation will take. This process helps you set an appropriate meeting length and find a time that works for every attendee.

During the meeting, you can use the timeline to keep the discussion on schedule. Move on to the next agenda item at the designated time and ask attendees to email you with additional thoughts. If a topic requires additional discussion, consider scheduling a separate meeting.

5. Start with announcements and employee recognition

As you organize agenda items, start with general items such as announcements. Then, recognize employees for recent accomplishments and quick wins—completing a difficult project, submitting an impressive product or receiving high praise from a client, for example. These topics help boost morale and draw attendees into the discussion.

Related: Team-Building Tips and Activities to Boost Employee Morale and Engagement

5. Add project updates and action items

The bulk of each meeting should focus on the main objective. Include topics such as:

• Project updates: Give updates and information regarding projects and deadlines established during the last meeting.
• Ideas for new projects: Brainstorm ideas for new projects and encourage team members to collaborate.
• Assign new tasks: Once ideas have been developed, determine action items, assign tasks to employees and set deadlines for each assignment.
• Discussions and decisions: Discuss additional topics related to your meeting goal and make any necessary group decisions.

6. Request any final updates from team members

Allow time at the end of the meeting agenda for final questions and thoughts. This buffer period helps you close out all topics without going over the allotted time. Encourage team members to email or meet with you if any questions arise later.

Tips for effective agendas

The following tips help you develop strong, effective agendas for team meetings:

• Create a template: Instead of creating a new agenda for each meeting, develop a staff meeting agenda template that includes the major points you cover at most meetings. You can easily fill in specifics and additional items for the next meeting. A template helps save time and establish a consistent structure.
• Set expectations: Let attendees know ahead of time what you expect of them during the meeting, such as sharing data or brainstorming ideas. This strategy can help them prepare more meaningful contributions.
• Include relevant documents: When you share the agenda, include any relevant documents the participants might need, such as project guidelines or charts.
• Assign talking point leaders: Share the responsibility of running the meeting by assigning different agenda items to various team members. Let the leaders know in advance so they’re prepared to run that portion of the meeting.
• Get team feedback: Ask team members for suggestions regarding meeting length, agenda items and meeting frequency. Use their feedback to refine your sample staff meeting agenda for future meetings.

Sample staff meeting agendas

Use these meeting agenda template examples to guide your writing process:

Staff meeting agenda template

Consider this staff meeting agenda example to develop a plan for regular team meetings:

Weekly Team Meeting Agenda

Meeting date:
Meeting time:
Location:

Welcome

• Greet the group and express appreciation for their time.
• Provide a brief overview of the meeting agenda.

Review points from previous meeting

• Invite team members to discuss how they tackled action items from the previous meeting.
• Address any issues or concerns from the last session.

Current work and challenges

• Ask each staff member to share their current focus, progress and challenges they’re facing.
• Open up the floor for collaborative discussion and problem-solving.

Team projects and goals

• Review how each team is progressing toward short- and long-term goals.
• Identify obstacles or challenges requiring attention.

Announcements and updates

• Share important and relevant updates relevant to the attendees.
• Encourage participants to ask questions or offer input.

Action items

• Summarize the action points from today’s meeting.
• Set deadlines for completing action items.

Closing remarks

• Thank the team for attending and offering input.
• Confirm the date and time of the next meeting.
• Schedule one-on-one informal chats with employees who might need extra support or have concerns.

Leadership team meeting agenda template

Depending on the size of your organization, the leadership team may hold separate meetings. These sessions typically cover strategic, confidential or high-level topics that are essential for long-term business success.

Here’s a leadership team meeting agenda template that focuses on key initiatives:

Monthly Leadership Staff Meeting Agenda

Meeting date:
Meeting time:
Location:

Attendees:

Welcome

• Welcome the leadership team, and emphasize the goal of the meeting.
• Provide an overview of topics you plan to discuss.

Review of previous meeting

• Discuss action points and outcomes from previous meetings.
• Ask attendees if they have concerns or issues from the last session.

Organizational performance

• Review organizational achievements and KPI progress for the past month.
• Discuss challenges, bottlenecks and potential hurdles for the future.

Strategic initiatives

• Adjust current KPIs, if necessary.
• Set high-level KPIs for the future.
• Identify roadblocks that could hold you back from achieving long-term goals.

Executive insights and updates

• Discuss industry trends and projections, and provide a high-level update about how your company fits into the market.
• Encourage attendees to share their perspectives.

Action items and accountability

• Summarize action items and assign duties to specific people.
• Discuss deadlines for each action item.

Closing remarks and future planning

• Highlight recent successes.
• Thank the senior team for attending.
• Establish the date for the next meeting.

FAQs about team meeting agendas

How much time should your agenda allow for a team meeting?

The ideal meeting length varies depending on the purpose, the number of action items on the agenda and your team’s needs. Aim to keep the meeting as short as possible while covering all necessary topics. Effective team meetings are typically short and focused. Keep each item at a reasonable length, and try to limit the meeting to an hour or less.

How can you stick to a meeting agenda?

The person managing the meeting should watch the time closely and guide the discussion back to the agenda if necessary. Consider assigning a timekeeper to track the time for each agenda item and alert you when the discussion goes over the limit.

Ask another employee to take notes for meeting minutes. If the discussion leads to a topic that’s not on the agenda, your note-taker can include a request for a new meeting or a follow-up email. This tactic ensures the topic is addressed while keeping the current meeting on schedule.