What makes a good meeting agenda?

A good meeting agenda has 5 elements: a clear purpose statement, 3-7 specific agenda items, time allocations for each item, defined expected outcomes, and assigned owners or presenters for each topic. Research shows meetings with structured agendas are 30% shorter and produce clearer action items.

How does the meeting agenda grader work?

The grader analyzes your agenda text across 6 criteria: clear objective (is the purpose stated?), agenda items (are topics listed and structured?), time allocations (are durations assigned?), desired outcomes (are decisions defined?), attendee roles (are owners assigned?), and right scope (is the agenda focused?). Each criterion is scored and combined into a total out of 100.

How many items should a meeting agenda have?

The ideal meeting agenda has 3-5 items, with a maximum of 7. Research by Bain & Company shows that every item added beyond 7 reduces decision effectiveness by 10%. If you have more than 7 items, consider splitting into two meetings or handling some topics asynchronously.

Should I include time allocations on my agenda?

Yes. Time allocations are one of the most impactful improvements you can make. They prevent meetings from running over, help prioritize discussion, and signal to attendees how deep each topic will go. A simple format like '1. Sprint review (10 min)' is all you need.

What should I include as expected outcomes?

Expected outcomes should define what will be different after the meeting. Examples: 'Decision: approve Q1 roadmap', 'Action item: assign feature owners', 'Alignment: agree on launch timeline'. Without defined outcomes, meetings tend to end without clear next steps.

How far in advance should I share the agenda?

Share your agenda at least 24 hours before the meeting. This gives attendees time to prepare, allows them to flag if they are not needed, and enables pre-reading so the meeting itself focuses on discussion rather than context-setting. Some teams share agendas 48 hours in advance for important meetings.

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Why your agenda matters

The agenda is the single biggest predictor of whether a meeting will be productive or a waste of time.

63%

Of meetings have no planned agenda (Salary.com)

30%

Shorter — meetings with structured agendas end sooner (Doodle)

2.5×

Faster decisions when agendas define expected outcomes (Bain & Company)

Five elements of a great agenda

A clear purpose statement

Start with "Purpose: [why this meeting exists]." If you can't write one sentence, you're not ready to meet.

Specific, numbered items

List 3–5 distinct topics. Each item should be concrete enough that attendees know what to prepare.

Time allocations

Assign minutes to each item. This prevents the first topic from eating the entire meeting.

Expected outcomes

Define what will be different after the meeting: a decision made, an action assigned, a plan approved.

Assigned owners

Name who leads each item. When everyone owns everything, no one owns anything.

Frequently asked questions

Great agendas deserve great follow-through

Convo's AI meeting assistant captures action items, decisions, and key moments so nothing from your well-planned agenda gets lost.