How do you Prepare a Pre-Read Before a Meeting?

Learn how to create concise, engaging pre-reads that prepare participants and enhance meeting productivity.

min read

A meeting pre-read is a concise document distributed before a meeting to provide context and key information. It comes in various forms, such as executive summaries, agendas with background info, or data reports. Pre-reads enhance meeting efficiency by ensuring all participants are well-informed and prepared to contribute meaningfully. They save time, foster more productive discussions, and lead to better decision-making. With effective pre-reads you can significantly improve the quality and outcomes of your meetings.

Key points to keep in mind when preparing a pre-read before a meeting:

Know your audience: Understanding your audience is crucial when preparing a pre-read. Consider their roles, knowledge levels, and what information they need to participate effectively in the meeting. Tailor the content and level of detail accordingly to ensure relevance and engagement.
Establish a clear purpose: Begin by clearly stating the meeting's objective. This helps frame the pre-read and ensures that all information included supports the intended outcome. A well-defined purpose guides both the content creation and the readers' focus.
Prioritize and structure information: Organize the pre-read logically, placing the most critical information first. Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to improve readability. Include only essential details that directly contribute to the meeting's purpose, avoiding information overload.
Incorporate visuals: Where appropriate, use charts, graphs, or infographics to present data or complex ideas. Visual elements can quickly convey information and make the pre-read more engaging and memorable. Ensure all visuals are clear, labeled, and directly relevant to the content.
Provide context and background: Include brief background information or context for topics that will be discussed. This ensures all participants have a common understanding of the issues at hand, regardless of their prior involvement. Link to additional resources for those who want to delve deeper.
Include discussion points or questions: End the pre-read with key discussion points or questions to be addressed during the meeting. This primes participants to think about these topics in advance, leading to more thoughtful and productive discussions during the actual meeting.
Keep it concise: Aim for brevity without sacrificing essential information. A typical pre-read should be no more than 1-2 pages for most meetings. If more detail is necessary, consider using appendices or supplementary documents for those who need in-depth information.

Mastering pre-reads can transform organizational culture, fostering preparedness and efficiency. Experiment with formats and implement feedback loops to refine your approach. Consider using collaborative tools to make pre-reads dynamic, sparking discussions before meetings. By consistently delivering clear, relevant pre-reads, you'll improve meeting outcomes and position yourself as a thoughtful leader. Ultimately, this practice contributes to a more engaged, productive workplace where informed decision-making is the norm.

How Video Calling App can help?

We understand that meetings aren’t just a time block. There are a plethora of pre-, in, and post-meeting tasks involved in driving an effective meeting. And how significant the groundwork is that starts with meeting agendas.

That’s why we are building the Video Calling App - it helps product and engineering teams capture meeting context, automate tasks, and focus on high-impact work.

VCA’s AI-powered smart agenda acts as a meeting precursor, helping you draft well-structured agendas by factoring in various elements. It pulls in meeting recaps, shared docs/pre-reads, messages from Slack's "remind me" feature, parking lot items, and more. This way, you've got a comprehensive agenda that sets you up for a productive meeting right from the start.

We are still in the early stages and rolling out access every day. If that sounds interesting, join the waitlist or fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch super soon.

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