The meeting leader or organizer shall include all basic meeting details on the agenda, such as date, time, and location. A dial-in number or URL can be added if the meeting will be held online through a video-conferencing application (Zoom, Skype, Teams, and the like).

The opening item acts as a formal introduction to the meeting in general and its primary purposes. At this time, copies of the agenda may be distributed to attendees. Commonly lasting five to ten minutes, this item also allows for a grace period if any staffers are running late. If necessary, the person in charge of meeting minutes can officially call the meeting into order upon the start time or after the grace period for late arrivals.

After a standard roll call, all meeting attendees and absentees can be recorded. Those present and absent can be listed by name on the agenda.

All notable updates or announcements that have come to light since the previous meeting can be communicated during this allocated time on the docket. These new reports are typically addressed first in order to later open the floor for discussion among attendees.

Tracking progress is a common reason for management convening regularly. Here, metrics can be measured to determine if the organization’s goals are on track to being met. If progress is straying away from planned goals, managers can utilize this time to discuss ways to improve or refocus their priorities.

It is crucial to open the floor for updates, questions, and related comments or concerns; this is particularly effective for companies/organizations that are divided into departments or branches. A commonly used yet practical way to do this involves each attendee chiming in with their input on the matters in question through a roundtable-like forum. This is often referred to as a “round-robin” or “roundtable” discussion.

Many organizations and, sometimes, businesses resolve managerial matters by majority votes. If this is the case, this item can be included on the agenda to settle resolutions on issues that must be urgently addressed.

Any matters that went undiscussed may be reserved for this section of the agenda. Meeting leaders/organizers often use this closing item to assign upcoming tasks or detail the next steps. Ending with a call to action can resonate with attendees and compel them to initiate those tasks upon finalizing the meeting.

Lastly, the manager in charge will conclude the meeting when all items have been discussed or upon the meeting’s set end time. If applicable, the secretary or an authorized individual can approve meeting minutes upon adjournment.