Every meeting that you conduct online should have the following constituents:

•    An Agenda for the meeting is an important constituent.
•    Prepare and have a well defined time schedule for the meeting.
•    Inform the place of the meeting. If it is online, let people know when and how they can get into the meeting. Typically, the username and password to log on to the online meeting is essential and should have been communicated clearly to every participant.
•    The participants list should be made available to who ever is presenting information in the meeting.

An agenda is an important constituent of the meeting. It helps you decide on what has to be discussed during the meeting. This will also help you set the targets for the meeting.

Whenever a meeting is called for, it is essential that the aim or the objective (s) of the meeting is well laid down. A clear objective will ensure that the meeting proceeds with clarity and reaches the appropriate decision. The agenda can also be planned based on the objectives laid down for the meeting.

The agenda should list the topics to be discussed and who will be the person presenting the specific topic. Ideally, the start and end time of every topic should also be present in the agenda. This way, people who are interested in listening to specific topics will walk in or log in at the appropriate time.

In addition to this, an agenda should also clearly lead to the conclusion of the meeting. That is, the topics presented should be carefully planned to ensure that the meeting proceeds in desired lines. There should not be jumbling of topics which could possibly cause confusion in the minds of the listeners. The agenda should also mention when the audience could raise their questions, if any. This would avoid unwanted interruptions during presentations.

If the time schedule is not mentioned in the agenda, then it is wise to mention it separately. Without a time schedule, the meeting is not properly planned. If it is online, ensure that the participants know when and how they could get into the meeting room. All needed information should be given to them so that they do not get delayed trying various options to get into your meeting room.

Of course, the presenter should know who are the participants and their level of knowledge. This will make sure that people get what is expected, neither more nor less.