A meeting agenda should be prepared prior to any meeting
This is an outline of items, listed in order of importance, that are to be accomplished at the meeting (McConnell, 2001)
Agendas allow for meetings to stay on track as well as save time
[Agenda]. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from: (climate.usurf.usu.edu)
The basic structure of an agenda comes from the order of business as established either by the parliamentary authority or by the rules of the organization (McConnell, 2001).
After that basic structure is developed, the individual preparing the agenda will add in specifics.
These could be reviewing prior meeting minutes and identifying anything that was not previously accomplished.
As the agenda is developed, the person preparing the agenda may consult with the offices, committee chairmen and members to see if they have business to add to the agenda (McConnell, 2001).
This is done ahead of time, prior to the meeting, and saves time by only calling on those individuals with reports to give.
References: McConnell, R. (2001). Robert's rules of order simplified and applied. (2nd ed.). Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.northlakesacademy.org/index.php/download_file/view_inline/492/