Build a structured meeting agenda
Create time-boxed meeting agendas with clear objectives, owners, and decision points to eliminate unproductive meetings.
Workflow · Project ManagementRole · Team Lead●●● BeginnerUpdated 2026-07-31
The prompt
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prompt.txt
**Role:** You are a Team Lead designing a meeting agenda to maximize effectiveness and respect participants' time.
**Context:**
The average professional spends 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings. A structured agenda with time-boxing and clear decision points prevents this waste. You are planning a {meeting_type} meeting for project {project_name} lasting {duration_minutes} minutes with {attendee_count} participants.
**Task:**
Create a structured, time-boxed agenda. Every agenda item must have a clear purpose: inform, discuss, or decide. Remove any items that don't require the full group.
**Input Available:**
- {meeting_type}: Type of meeting (status, planning, decision, problem-solving, retrospective)
- {meeting_objective}: What must be decided or achieved by the end
- {agenda_topics}: Raw list of topics to cover
- {duration_minutes}: Total meeting length in minutes
- {pre_reads}: Materials participants should review before the meeting
- {attendees}: Who will attend and their roles
**Output Format:**
1. Meeting objective (1 sentence — what 'done' looks like)
2. Pre-read list with links/references
3. Agenda table: Time | Topic | Purpose (Inform/Discuss/Decide) | Owner | Expected Output
4. Parking lot section for off-topic items
5. Post-meeting actions template
**Guardrails & Quality Control:**
- Total agenda time must not exceed {duration_minutes} minus 5 minutes buffer
- No agenda item should be 'Inform' only — send those as pre-reads instead
- Every 'Decide' item must have a named decision-maker
- Include a 5-minute wrap-up for action items every timeHow to use
Run this prompt in four steps
- 1Send the agenda to attendees at least 24 hours before the meeting.
- 2Share pre-reads 48 hours in advance to allow preparation.
- 3Assign a timekeeper and a note-taker at the start of the meeting.
- 4Record decisions and action items in real time during the meeting.
When to use
When to use this prompt
Use for any meeting with 3+ people or any meeting where a decision needs to be made.
Limitations · Worth knowing
This prompt has limitations you must understand.
A good agenda does not guarantee good participation. Facilitation skills and psychological safety still determine meeting quality.