How to Set the Agenda in a Business Meeting Like a Pro (with Practice Exercises)

A diverse team in a modern office setting participates in a hybrid business meeting, with one person joining via video call. The article title, 'How to Set the Agenda in a Business Meeting Like a Pro,' is overlaid in bold text. The image represents professional communication and effective meeting management.

Meetings can be productive or they can be a complete waste of time. The difference? A clear agenda that keeps everyone on track.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to set an agenda that works, keep your meeting focused, and make sure everyone knows what to expect. You’ll also get real-world phrases, interactive practice, and quick exercises to make these skills second nature.

Let’s begin!

Why Setting the Agenda Matters

A group of business professionals in a meeting, with a woman appearing disengaged and bored. A red thumbs-down icon symbolizes ineffective meeting management. This image illustrates the importance of properly setting an agenda to keep meetings productive and engaging. Featured in an article on 'How to Set an Agenda' on Real Business English.

Ever been in a meeting where:

No one knows what’s being discussed. The agenda is unclear, half the team is confused.
People go off-topic. The discussion starts with sales numbers, but somehow, 20 minutes later, you're debating whether the office coffee machine should be replaced.
It drags on forever with no decisions made. The same points keep getting repeated, people ramble, and by the end, there’s no clear action plan—just a promise to “circle back” next time.

That’s what happens when there’s no clear agenda—people talk in circles, time gets wasted, and everyone leaves the meeting feeling frustrated.

But when you have a well-set agenda, it:

A group of business professionals actively engaging in a productive meeting, with a woman leading the discussion. A green thumbs-up icon symbolizes effective meeting management. This image represents the importance of setting a clear agenda to ensure successful and organized business meetings. Featured in an article on 'How to Set an Agenda' on Real Business English.

Keeps discussions on track. Everyone knows what needs to be covered, so you don’t waste time on side topics.

Helps people come prepared. When attendees know what to expect, they can bring the right information and ideas.

Leads to real decisions. Instead of endless discussion, the meeting actually moves forward with clear action steps.

A good agenda doesn’t just make meetings better—it makes work easier for everyone. Let’s look at how to set one up the right way.

Pro Tip: Always share the agenda before the meeting so attendees can come prepared.

Essential Phrases for Setting the Agenda

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Here are some professional phrases to use:

Here’s what we’ll cover today…

We have three key items on the agenda. First, we’ll go over… then, we’ll move on to…

Let’s make sure we stay on track. Our main focus today is…

Before we get started, is there anything specific anyone wants to add?

Let’s allocate about 10 minutes per topic so we have time for Q&A at the end.

Listen & Learn: Setting the Agenda in Action

Practice Task 1

Erica is leading a virtual team meeting with Emma and Chris. Listen to the dialogue and answer the question below.

What are the three key items on the agenda that Erica mentions?

A) Sales report, team performance, upcoming deadlines

B) Last month's sales report, new marketing strategy, upcoming deadlines

C) Customer feedback, new marketing strategy, budget review

D) Product launch, upcoming deadlines, sales goals

Practice Task 2

Erica is leading a team meeting on marketing plans. Chris and Emma are worried about finishing everything on time. Listen to the dialogue and answer the question below.

What change did the team make to the agenda?