Action Agenda/Minutes
Purpose:
The action agenda format is one of several formats for
re-structuring agendas so that they serve as tools facilitating action. While
seemingly a minor adjustment in the way an agenda is presented, the visual
difference may have significant impact. There are a variety of formats, and
certainly anyone can alter the presentation to suit their needs. What is
presented below is just one model.
Process:
The agenda is formulated in whatever manner you traditionally
use. If you’re the leader of a team you may brainstorm items or issues with
your group, you may brainstorm alone, or you may have a list of “left-overs” that will keep you busy for years.
Identify the items, order them with the most important item
close to the start if not at the very start (this will help get your group
together on time), then identify the individual or group that will lead the
discussion. If there is a decision or action to be determined related to the
issue, identify that as clearly as possible in the “action/decision” column
adjacent to the item itself.
You can also tighten your agenda with a time limit notation or
another column identifying time limit. This is especially useful for items that
are informational only. Though many organizations ignore it, staff time is the
most valuable resource and wasting it in unnecessary meetings is unfortunate at
the least. Information sharing is important, but the time spent vocalizing what
can and probably has already been written should be controlled.
This format lends itself to the use of “bullets”, and when
used for minutes as well as agendas, makes it clear what happened, and perhaps
more importantly what should happen between the meeting and the next meeting as
noted in the action or decision column.
Example:
AQIP New Foundland
Action Agenda
8/10/03
|
DISCUSSION |
ACTIONS/DECISIONS |
|
1. ASQ
Update (5 min.) · Sam
Sameness |
· Do we
invite them to do a presentation next month? |
|
2.
Update on NQEC Conference (15 min.) ·
Deadline for proposal is September 15. · Review
the CIT power-point. ·
Discuss presenter registration fees for conference. |
· Who
will write the final proposal? · Do we
need to change the power-point presentation for this conference? · Can we
afford to pay for our presenters? |
|
3.
Systems Portfolio Discussion (15 min.) Reports from each
institution: · · · |
|