Method guide · Work with a structured grid
Agenda
Build a shared agenda with timings, background, order, and a destination for items that cannot be handled now.
- People
- 2–30
- Base procedure time
- 30 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Make a decision; Build working relationships.
English guide
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How this method works
A method for collecting participants' agenda items and jointly deciding their order, time, and where to hold them over. Participants write each item they want to address on a separate card with the necessary background. Show the meeting's time frame, then decide each item's start, finish, and order using importance and dependencies. For items not handled within the time available, record whether they will move to a small group, online work, or the next meeting. Everyone checks that the order reaches important items rather than using all the time on small reports. The output is an agenda with order, times, background, and destinations for held-over items. Do not use it to invite agenda suggestions merely for show where there is no authority to change the agenda.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
Use the arrow keys, Home or End while these controls have focus. The complete phase schedule remains below, including without JavaScript.
- Collect agenda items and background from participants0–5 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Rephrase. Participation: Small groups around the record.
Shared record
- Place time for each item5–10 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Draw. Participation: Small groups around the record.
Shared record
- Decide order from importance and dependencies10–17 minutes from the start (7 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: Small groups around the record.
Shared record
- Separate items for small groups or online work17–22 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Separate. Participation: Small groups around the record.
Shared record
- Check agenda changes22–30 minutes from the start (8 minutes)
Action: Check. Participation: Small groups around the record.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 5 minutes, participants write agenda items with necessary background, one item per card.
- For 5 minutes, place each item's start and finish on the agenda to fit the meeting's time frame.
- For 7 minutes, record importance and dependencies on the cards and decide the order of work.
- For 5 minutes, separate items not handled within the time into small-group work, online work, or holding over.
- For 8 minutes, everyone reads the agenda and records conditions for changes, where it will be kept, and the next owner of held-over items.
If something changes
If
10 minutes after the start, one or more agenda items have a blank duration.
Then
Do not move to deciding order; give the items with blanks a provisional duration or a destination for holding over.
If
17 minutes after the start, not a single item marked important is inside the time frame.
Then
Move less important items to holding over and place at least one important item inside the time frame.
If
With 8 minutes remaining, 3 or more items have not been placed.
Then
Stop adding new items and assign the unplaced ones to a small group, online work, or the next meeting.
Preparation
Materials
- One agenda card per item
- One shared agenda sheet
- 2 broad-tip pens
Room and setup
- A display surface where everyone can see the agenda and remaining time
Adjust for people and time
With 2–8 people, gather around one agenda. With 9–30, each person puts one agenda card on the same sheet. With 31–60, use two venues; with 61–90, three; and with 91–100, four, each with 15–30 people. Separate topic areas and agenda sheets by venue; an owner transfers only cross-area dependencies to a separate sheet. Do not automatically merge several agendas into one.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Do not invite agenda suggestions merely for show where there is no authority to change the agenda. Give unhandled items an explicit destination and next owner; do not automatically merge separate venue agendas.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Seeds for Change Facilitation Tools: Agenda
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/tools
anti-copyright adaptation; changes made
- Conditions for applying anti-copyright
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/resources
anti-copyright
Diagram, print, and video language
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Editorial provenance
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