Writing Agendas That Make Meetings More Productive

One of the most frequently missed opportunities I’ve seen over the course of my career is the 1:1 meeting with leadership. Too often, these potentially vital touch points become mere status updates about ongoing projects. There are 3 things I do that truly makes these 30 minutes super valuable: 1. Set a crisp and clear agenda for the meeting. Share it beforehand with your leader, whether it's a weekly manager check-in or a skip-level meeting. Break it down into clear sections and start by stating your desired outcomes for those 30 minutes. 2. Tag, categorize, and stack rank each agenda item. I use these 5 categories in all my 1:1 docs: 📌 [Top of Mind] - Exchange of current priorities and pressing concerns 🔔 [Update] - Project progress and OKR tracking 🙏🏼 [Ask] - Where I need help, blockers, advice on tricky situations 📝 [Career] - Growth discussions, aspirations, and development paths 🏃♂️ [Ops] - Tactical discussions, escalations, challenges, and operational needs 3. Track action items. Document specific follow-ups for both you and your leader. These can range from immediate project needs to long-term career development goals. Make sure you don’t just let these go into the void and follow up on them during subsequent 1:1s or over Slack/email. 💡 Pro Tip: Type "@notes" in Google Docs to instantly generate a meeting notes template to help you track your recurring 1:1s. 📲 What is the one key thing you do during 1:1s with your leader (or subordinate) that makes the meeting worthwhile? 

As a VC, here is exactly what I emailed every portfolio CEO before we joined their board: “Most BOD meetings create a huge burden on the CEO and are unproductive. You don’t have to make pretty slides (unless you’re visually inclined). A written memo format works too. Just make sure to send out any BOD materials at least 3 days ahead. Assume everyone has read it in advance so you can focus on the big picture. Think of the BOD meeting as a chance to get free advice on 1-3 strategic topics where you think other BOD members can help you. Aim for less than 20% of the time to be focused on metrics and at least 80% on the strategic topics of your choice. It all starts with how you structure the agenda. Don’t give too much time to the financials & metrics (as long as you sent them out in advance). Here’s an example of a format that can work well: 5m: CEO update 5m: Financial update 5m: Metrics update 5m: Industry updates 20m: Strategic Topic 1 20m: Strategic Topic 2 20m: Strategic Topic 3 10m: CEO & BOD members only discussion An example of some strategic topics to discuss might include: - We have 9 months of cash left, how should we manage burn - Our customer base is too concentrated. Let's chat about diversification. - Privacy policy changes in the industry and our reaction? - Can we get input on next year's proposed annual plan? - Should I promote this internal candidate or go external? - Our team and I are feeling burned out, what are we doing wrong? - I want to pivot the business, let's walk through my plans. Feel free to bring in other executives or fractional leaders if it helps sets context but make sure there’s enough time for just you & the BOD (e.g. the executive session).” No one gave me any of this advice and just expected me to know what to do. I wasted so much time putting together slides and then felt obliged to explain every single metric. It was also so boring for everyone involved. When you focus on strategic topics, you can put your BOD members to work for you and help you think through things that are important to you. It took years and years of making these mistakes until I finally figured out how to use this time wisely… so I truly hope this helps other Founders.

Everyone hates meetings because they’re the default, not the decision. ⏳ We pile people in a room to “figure it out,” with no owner, no pre-work, and a 60-minute calendar block that magically expands to fill itself. The result? Status theater, meandering updates, and nothing that actually moves. Here’s a simple playbook to make meetings not-awful (and actually useful) 🧰 Ask the killer question first: “Could this be async?” – If yes: write a 1-pager, comment in a thread, or record a quick walkthrough. Only meet if there’s real ambiguity or a decision to make. Define the outcome up front. – By the end we will: Decide X, Generate 3 options for Y, or Commit to a plan for Z. If you can’t write that sentence, you’re not ready to meet. Do the pre-work. – Send a one-pager 24 hours ahead. Start with 5 minutes of silent read so everyone begins at context, not catch-up. Invite fewer people. – 2–5 deciders + 1 scribe beats 12 spectators. Everyone else gets notes or a recording. Shorten the slot. – Default to 15 minutes. Add time only if the agenda demands it. Keep a “parking lot” for off-topic items. Assign clear roles. – DRI (owner), Facilitator (keeps time), Scribe (writes decisions), Approver (one person). Many “approvers” = no decision. Close strong. – End with: the decision, owners, deadlines, and the first next step. Ship notes within 10 minutes while context is fresh. Meeting alternatives to try this week: – Decision doc + comments – Async standup (yesterday/today/blockers) – Office hours block instead of recurring status – Living FAQ/playbook page for repeat questions – Annotated screen recording for walkthroughs Copy/paste “Meeting Brief” template: Goal: Type (Decision / Brainstorm / Kickoff / Retro): DRI: Must-have attendees: Pre-read link: Agenda with timestamps: Exit criteria (how we’ll know it worked): Risks / open questions: Next steps (owner + date): If every calendar invite had an outcome, pre-read, and a DRI, most meetings would be half as long and twice as valuable. What’s one change you’ll try this week?