How can you design effective meeting agendas for teams with different levels of expertise?

Meetings are essential for any consulting project, but they can also be frustrating and unproductive if the agenda is not well-designed. A good meeting agenda should align with the project goals, clarify the roles and expectations of the participants, and facilitate collaboration and learning among teams with different levels of expertise. In this article, you will learn how to design effective meeting agendas for teams with different levels of expertise, using some simple principles and tools.

1 Define the purpose and outcomes

Before you start planning the agenda, you need to define the purpose and the desired outcomes of the meeting. What is the main problem or question that you want to address? What are the specific objectives or deliverables that you want to achieve by the end of the meeting? How will you measure the success of the meeting? These questions will help you focus the agenda on the most relevant and valuable topics, and avoid wasting time on irrelevant or unclear issues.

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Carl Plumer

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Ask questions as part of the agenda, and always include the agenda in the invite. Agendas speed things up when the meeting starts because attendees have a clear picture of the purpose for the meeting prior to joining. Ask the questions, as many as you need or want.

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Veruska Anconitano

Founder of InclusivitEasy | International Expansion Consultant | Multilingual SEO | Globalization | Sociologist & Sociolinguist | Project Management | Market Research | Cross-Cultural Communication Expert | Polyglot
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Begin by clearly articulating the specific goal of the meeting. Whether it's decision-making, brainstorming, or progress updates, ensure that this purpose is understood by all participants, regardless of their expertise level. Then, outline the expected outcomes or what you hope to achieve by the end of the meeting. For example, if the meeting's purpose is to discuss a new project, the outcome might be a clear project plan with assigned roles and responsibilities. This clarity helps all team members, irrespective of their expertise, to understand the relevance of the meeting and how they can contribute, thereby fostering more focused and productive discussions.

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2 Identify the participants and their expertise

Next, you need to identify who will participate in the meeting, and what level of expertise they have on the topic. Depending on the project phase and scope, you may have different types of stakeholders involved, such as clients, sponsors, subject matter experts, consultants, analysts, or end users. You need to consider their backgrounds, perspectives, interests, and expectations, and how they can contribute to the meeting. You also need to assess their level of knowledge and skills on the topic, and how they can learn from each other.

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Carl Plumer

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Be sure to include the best people who are critical to the decision making process and answering the questions you've added to the agenda. Try to invite a subset of a larger group, instead of the entire group. People participate in a meeting when there are fewer people in the room or virtually attending.

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Veruska Anconitano

Founder of InclusivitEasy | International Expansion Consultant | Multilingual SEO | Globalization | Sociologist & Sociolinguist | Project Management | Market Research | Cross-Cultural Communication Expert | Polyglot
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When designing your agenda, identify the expertise levels of the attendees and plan the content accordingly. For instance, if some members are new to the topic, include a brief overview or background segment at the beginning. Conversely, for participants who are experts, plan segments that delve into more complex aspects or discussions that leverage their advanced knowledge. This might mean segmenting the meeting into parts that cater to different expertise levels or ensuring that the content is layered, starting from basic concepts and progressively delving into more complex matters. By customizing the agenda in this way, you ensure that the meeting is engaging and informative for all participants.

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3 Structure the agenda according to the learning cycle

Once you have defined the purpose, outcomes, and participants of the meeting, you can structure the agenda according to the learning cycle. The learning cycle is a framework that describes how people learn from experience, and it consists of four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. You can use this framework to design the agenda in a way that engages the participants in all stages of learning, and helps them share and apply their expertise. For example, you can start with a concrete experience, such as a case study, a simulation, or a demonstration, that illustrates the problem or question that you want to address. Then, you can facilitate a reflective observation, where the participants discuss what they observed, what they learned, and what questions they have. Next, you can introduce an abstract conceptualization, such as a model, a theory, or a best practice, that explains the underlying principles or concepts of the topic. Finally, you can encourage an active experimentation, where the participants apply what they learned to their own situations, test their assumptions, and plan their next steps.

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Carl Plumer

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Be sure to allow for related questions as well as off-topic ones as this helps people feel like real contributors working to solve a problem or brainstorm new ideas. Pull the meeting back on track as needed, and especially due to time constraints, but do allow for free thinking and lots of contributions.

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4 Use appropriate methods and tools

The last step in designing an effective meeting agenda is to choose the appropriate methods and tools that will support the learning cycle and the meeting outcomes. Depending on the size, composition, and dynamics of the group, you may use different methods and tools to facilitate the meeting. For example, you may use brainstorming, voting, or ranking to generate ideas and prioritize options; you may use diagrams, charts, or templates to visualize and organize information; you may use surveys, quizzes, or feedback forms to assess and improve learning; or you may use breakout rooms, chat, or polls to enhance interaction and engagement. You should also consider the format and duration of the meeting, and how to balance synchronous and asynchronous communication.

By following these steps, you can design effective meeting agendas for teams with different levels of expertise, and make your meetings more productive, collaborative, and learning-oriented.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Carl Plumer

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Start meetings in a friendly way. Talk about the previous or upcoming weekend or holiday. Share some fun or funny stories in the first few minutes. And then get to the first agenda item. Being a bit relaxed and friendly indicates to others that they can do the same.

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How can you design effective meeting agendas for teams with different levels of expertise?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Define the purpose and outcomes

2 Identify the participants and their expertise

3 Structure the agenda according to the learning cycle

4 Use appropriate methods and tools

5 Here’s what else to consider

Consulting

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How can you design effective meeting agendas for teams with different levels of expertise?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Define the purpose and outcomes

2 Identify the participants and their expertise

3 Structure the agenda according to the learning cycle

4 Use appropriate methods and tools

5 Here’s what else to consider

Consulting

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