How to build board meeting agendas that create value

Every board meeting has an agenda, but that doesn’t always mean it’s doing its job. And without an optimised agenda, boards are building their meetings on weak foundations.  

For many boards, agendas aren’t even considered, they’re carried forward from one meeting to the next with little adjustment, and in many cases arrive to late to enable adequate preparation.  

Following a suboptimal board meeting agenda creates significant problems. Operating this way means that meetings lose structure; conversations go off course, and board members spend time reacting to updates rather than contributing where it matters most.  

A more thoughtful approach to your board meeting agenda can solve this. When managed correctly, board meeting agendas provide the clarity needed to focus on decisions and, updates and ensures that time is spent on the issues that belong with the board, rather than those that can be handled elsewhere. 

When agendas improve, meetings become more effective, and when meetings are more effective, progress is far more likely.  

This article explores: 

• The purpose of a board meeting agenda  

• What a good board meeting agenda should include 

• The DNA of an effective board meeting agenda item 

• The software that supports board meeting agenda management  

• Practical steps to get started improving yours today 

What’s the real purpose of a board meeting agenda? 

Ask ten people and you’ll get ten versions of the same answer: it’s there to structure the meeting. But the real value of an agenda comes far earlier, before anyone’s even stepped into the room: in meeting preparation.  

According to Mary A. Francis, Corporate Secretary and Chief Governance Officer for Chevron Corporation, “A thoughtfully crafted agenda is invaluable for any board of directors meeting, facilitating a productive meeting and fulfillment of governance requirements.”  

A board meeting agenda should provide the blueprint for the entire meeting, from preparation, through the meeting itself, and into the follow-up actions that it leads to. It’s there to guide board members on what will be covered, where focus and input are needed, and where they can contribute. 

For boards, where time is short and the stakes are high, this kind of clarity is essential. The agenda is what turns a set of topics into a structured conversation. It keeps the meeting aligned with the board’s role: providing oversight, supporting strategy, and staying accountable. As Peter Allanson from the Good Governance Institute explains, “[On each board meeting agenda] more time should be devoted to strategy and the risks associated with achieving it than to holding to account and assurance.” He continues, “Constructing the agenda so that ‘meaty, important items’ have enough time and are at a stage in the meeting when energy levels are good.”  

What should a board meeting agenda include? 

Templates are easy to find, but effective agendas are shaped by the real work in front of the board. 

That starts with the structure. As the National Governance Association comments, “An effective agenda helps to ensure that: the board’s discussion is focused on strategic priorities, important decisions and actions are taken during the meeting.”  

That means that a board meeting agenda needs to open cleanly, focus attention on strategic items, and leave enough room to track decisions and actions at the end. In between, you need space for core reports, committee updates, and any critical risks. 

A well-balanced agenda should include: 

• A clear opening: A formal start that sets the tone for a focused and impactful meeting. 

• Minutes approval: Approving the previous meeting’s minutes, so past decisions are confirmed and moved to execution.  

• Progress updates: Usually from the CEO and CFO, to understand what’s happened since the last meeting.  

• Topic-led agenda items: Focusing on the big issues such as strategy, governance, and risks that need board attention.  

• Committee reports: Making space for committees to update the board is important, and you should expect them to be well-prepared and focused. 

• Status of key actions: Checking on agreed actions from the previous meeting is important for accountability.  

• Clear outcomes: What was decided? What needs to happen next? Is the board working well? All of this should be clear by the time the meeting concludes.  

Meeting agendas shouldn’t follow the same structure every time. What the board needs to focus on will shift as things change in the organisation. If something’s on the agenda just because it always is, this should make it clear that it’s no longer necessary. 

What does a good board meeting agenda item look like?   

An effective agenda is built one item at a time, like functional components in a circuitboard. Each board meeting agenda should serve a clear purpose and help move the meeting forward, and should promote specificity and action-orientation. The best way to achieve this is to frame agenda items as questions. 

Questions create direction. They encourage solution orientation, and help refine what input is needed to move initiatives ahead. They also encourage participants to arrive prepared to discuss, decide, or advise. For example, titling an agenda item as “Budget 2026” does little to promote preparation or action.  

Instead, “What amendments are needed to the budget in 2026 to achieve profitability by Q2?” is far more specific and action-oriented, and tells every participant what problem needs to be solved for during that item’s allocated slot on the agenda.  

Here’s what every item on your board meeting agenda should include:  

• An action-oriented title: Framed as a question whenever possible 

• Item type: Is it informational, or does it require discussion?  

• Owner: Who is responsible for introducing the topic?  

• Goal: Describe what the agenda item is trying to achieve, succinctly and with clarity.  

• Relevant materials: Background documents or reports linked directly to the item.  

• Time allocation: How long will the item take?  

How can board meeting agenda topics be prioritised?  

Not every topic warrants a place on a board meeting agenda. Some decisions are better handled elsewhere, and not everything that sounds important is worth a slot on the agenda. What does belong are the issues that need direction, carry risk, or tie directly to the board’s responsibilities. 

Start by identifying where decisions are required. Once that’s clear, you can build your board meeting agenda around it. If an item doesn’t link back to the board’s role of oversight, accountability, or strategy, it might be better handled outside the meeting. 

Boards create the most value by keeping things focused. That might mean three or four core items, the kind that actually needs input or discussion. Routine approvals can be grouped into a consent agenda. That way, more time is left for the conversations that need it. 

Which tools support board meeting agenda management? 

Managing agendas through email or static documents can lead to confusion, outdated versions, and missed updates. Nobody wants to have to search through email, SharePoint, or static documents to find the latest information, and if they do, they should prepare for errors and inefficiency along the way.  

Using a purpose-built solution to manage your board meetings improves things considerably. It gives the chair, CEO, and company secretary a single place to draft, review, and update the agenda together. Everyone works from the same version, and linked documents stay with their agenda items. This also improves post-meeting clarity. Decisions are documented, and next steps are easier to follow. This doesn’t replace planning, but it does remove a lot of the back and forth. 

Here's how Sherpany supports effective board meeting agenda management: 

1. A single source of truth: No more version conflicts. Chairs, CEOs, and secretaries build and adjust the agenda together in one secure workspace, even when priorities shift at the last minute. Sherpany’s drag-and-drop Agenda Builder makes it quick and easy to create agendas that pack a punch.  

2. Context included by default: Each agenda item is linked to the right documents, with clear owners, and clear desired outcomes. This means that board members prepare faster, stay focused, and know exactly what’s expected. 

3. Built for board complexity: Sherpany handles late changes, shifting priorities, and sensitive materials with ease. From the first draft to post-meeting follow-up, the agenda stays clear, complete, and secure.  

Common board meeting agenda mistakes to avoid  

Some boards reuse previous agendas with minor updates, and while this can seem efficient, unless someone stops to check what the board actually needs to focus on, it’s easy to miss the mark.  

Priorities shift, new issues come up, and a reused agenda doesn’t always reflect that. Boards need to remain dynamic, and willing to respond to different situations as they arise. As Dr. Andy Wood OBE confirms, “When organisations cling to outdated structures and meeting practices their boards risk failing to respond to change, neglect emerging issues or misread critical warnings.”  

Another issue is volume. Trying to cover too much in one session rarely works. Key topics end up compressed, and discussion time becomes limited. It’s better to keep the list realistic. Routine approvals can be grouped together, so more time is available for the work that matters. 

Ambiguous headings such as “updates” or “general discussion” don’t give board members a clear sense of what’s needed. 

When agendas arrive late, it’s noticeable. People haven’t had time to prepare properly. Some are half-ready, others are catching up during the meeting. It’s harder to stay focussed when the room’s still trying to figure out what the meeting is really about. 

Sharing the agenda a few days earlier gives people time to prepare, clarify points, and arrive ready to contribute. 

Take control of your board meeting agendas with Sherpany 

A clear agenda doesn’t just list topics, it shows how time will be used and which issues require the board’s focus. It takes some thought to get that right. 

Sherpany supports agenda planning by keeping everything in one place, so everyone works from the same version and has what they need. Notes and minutes stay linked to agenda items, as do meeting materials, actions, and decisions. That makes it easier to follow along, and easier to pick things up again when the next meeting comes around. 

Ready to simplify how you manage board meeting agendas? Book a free consultation and see Sherpany in action.