Ditch Your Meeting Agenda

There’s a good reason as to why the task of creating an agenda in advance of a strategic meeting may feel daunting.

Not only do professionals regard an agenda as the first step to a successful meeting, but behavioral meeting statistics confirm it is?the most important element of any meeting.

Notoriously, for leaders and organizations, meeting agendas fall flat of expectations, and more importantly, in relation to their objectives.

Happily, there is a solution to the stress associated with developing an agenda. One that diverges from the outdated, mundane timetables.

The common misconception

Many people believe that a meeting invite must be paired with a detailed Excel file outlining all activities, exercises, and exact timings.

But this approach is flawed - it zeros in on the minutiae of the meeting itself and loses sight of the bigger picture.

ImageThink takes a different approach to agendas, one that’s largely beneficial to all parties involved.

The most fundamental aspect of our agendas is rooted in the idea that?the why is more important than the how.

That’s not to say that what happens at 10:00AM or 2:30PM isn’t important.

It’s just to say that these are mere steps we must take in order to get to where we need to go. Where we are taking the attendees by the end of the day, and what we aim to accomplish together holds more weight.

Instead of itemizing each hour of the day, ImageThink homes in on the workshop’s objectives and desired outcomes - keeping attendees always focused on the bigger picture.

Next - and equally important - we provide a high-level narrative of the day’s flow in what we call a visual agenda.

This agenda is a story told in pictures, depicting a journey through stages of the ImageThink Method?.?

In our visual agendas, meeting attendees are characters in the story. We provide them with a landscape to navigate, and an end goal in sight.?

Not-your-average agenda

ImageThink’s visual agendas are largely beneficial for all involved meeting parties.?Here’s why:?

Flexibility for facilitators?

A detailed hour-by-hour agenda can be constricting for facilitators and participants alike. It limits a facilitator’s ability to pivot, and more importantly, respond to the dynamic and needs of the group.?

?On the flip side, a?visual agenda?allows facilitators to adapt to conversations or activities in real time.??

This level of flexibility prevents attendees from feeling like something has been missed, or that the schedule has strayed off course.?

See the big picture??

By tying the meeting’s focus to overarching objectives, attendees stay anchored to the meeting's end goal rather than getting lost in the minutiae.??

This approach prevents preconceived notions about which parts of the day are valuable.

It also reduces the likelihood of attendees disengaging or stepping out during sessions.?

Enhanced engagement?

Unlike the pitfalls of traditional, overly detailed agendas, a visual agenda maintains group orientation and engagement.??

It keeps the discussion high-level and outcome-focused, ensuring that everyone is invested in the process and journey.?

When people can see the big picture, you?create meeting experiences that are more dynamic?and impactful.?