Learn2 Leadership Tool
Meeting Agenda Template: The WXYZ Line That Gets Every Meeting to a Result
Who, time, purpose and the expected result. Put a number in your Z.
A meeting with no clear result wanders. People leave with notes and no decision, then meet again next week. WXYZ makes every meeting earn its place on the calendar.
The four parts
- W
Who
Who must be present so the XYZ can be achieved.
- X
Time
Set the time available and spend it on purpose.
- Y
Purpose
One clear statement of purpose, one per meeting.
- Z
Expected result
Participants own a specific result. Put a number in your Z.
"Let's have an X minute conversation about Y so we can achieve Z."
Example: three agendas written with WXYZ
Copy the line into your next calendar invite and fill in your own W, X, Y and Z.
- Who: sales leads and finance. "Let's have a 30 minute conversation about Q1 pricing so we can agree on two price changes."
- Who: the project team. "Let's have a 20 minute conversation about the late shipments so we can pick three fixes and an owner for each."
- Who: you and one direct report. "Let's have a 15 minute conversation about your project so we can set the next step and a date."
Invite with purpose
- Focus each meeting, or each part of a meeting, on one purpose.
- Write the purpose in one sentence in the calendar invite.
- Add the contribution you expect from each person. If they add no value, do not invite them.
- Pose a purposeful question so people arrive ready.
- Break a big Y into several Zs, each with its own X.
- Stop the conversation if the right Whos are not in the room.
Try it today
Open your calendar. Rewrite the invite for your next meeting as one line: "Let's have an X minute conversation about Y so we can achieve Z."
Questions leaders ask
What should a meeting agenda include?
Four things: who must be there (W), how much time (X), one purpose (Y) and the expected result (Z). Put a number in the Z so everyone knows when the meeting is done.
How do you write a meeting purpose statement?
One sentence: "Let's have an X minute conversation about Y so we can achieve Z." Paste it into the calendar invite.
What are examples of meeting objectives?
Decide which two of five projects we fund this quarter. Agree on three fixes for the late-shipment problem. Assign an owner and a date to each customer escalation. Each one ends in a result you can count.
How long should a meeting be?
As long as the Z needs and no longer. Set the X on purpose. Break a big topic into several Zs, each with its own time.
Who should you invite to a meeting?
Only the people needed to reach the Z. Write the contribution you expect from each person in the invite. If someone adds no value, do not invite them.
Build it with your team
Meetings That Produce Results
Teams rebuild their own recurring meetings with WXYZ and cut the ones that have no Z.
See the Meetings That Produce Results programWhere participants practice it
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See how your team communicates
The same words land four different ways on one team. The free Team Diagnostic gives you a report on how each person prefers to hear a change, a concern or a coaching question. It takes about five minutes.
Start the free Team Diagnostic