When planning a meeting, having clear and well-defined agenda points is crucial. This keeps the gathering focused and allows all participants to engage actively. But how do you set effective agenda points?

The Basics of Agenda Points

Agenda points are topics that need to be discussed during the meeting — such as the progress of a project, future plans or solving problems. They should be established in advance so the meeting can run in a structured way, and must be clear and understandable for everyone.

Why Are Agenda Points Necessary?

Clear agenda points prevent the meeting from running over time and wasting time on irrelevant topics. They ensure all participants are well prepared and increase engagement.

How Do You Determine the Agenda Points?

Draw up an agenda in advance with the topics and time needed per item. Share it with all participants in time. During the meeting, monitor the time and move topics that need more time to a later occasion.

Tip 1: Determine the Purpose of the Meeting

What do you want to achieve? Which decisions need to be made? By clarifying the purpose upfront, you can set more focused agenda points. Be concrete: not "improve sales" but "discuss new sales strategies to increase Q3 results by 10%".

Tip 2: Involve All Participants in Setting Agenda Points

Send the agenda to all participants in advance so they can think about the topics. Encourage everyone to contribute input and create an open and inclusive atmosphere. The chair listens actively, takes input seriously and checks that everyone feels heard.

Tip 3: Prioritise the Agenda Points

Discuss the most important points first. This creates a clear thread through the meeting and ensures there is sufficient time for the most critical topics. Draw up a schedule in advance with time allocated per agenda point to keep the meeting on track.

Tip 4: Formulate Agenda Points Clearly and Concretely

Avoid vague or general wording. Use specific, active language:

• Not: "We need to improve our marketing" — but: "Develop new marketing campaign for product X to boost sales".
• Not: "Improve sales figures" — but: "Develop and implement a new sales strategy to increase results by 10%".

Clear formulations ensure participants know exactly what is expected and that decisions can be reached more quickly.

Tip 5: Evaluate and Reflect

After the meeting, evaluate whether all agenda points were covered and decisions were made. Reflect on how the meeting went and use those insights to improve the approach at the next meeting.