An agent can prepare a useful meeting brief when the purpose, source set, and intended output are known in advance. It should separate verified updates from open questions, cite where each came from, and leave decisions, assignments, and commitments to the meeting participants.
Fictional example: Marble Point Facilities asks, “Prepare a 30-minute site review for Monday from the current work-order export, the approved maintenance checklist, and last meeting’s action log. Highlight unresolved items. Do not reassign or close tickets.” The agent may read those three sources and draft an agenda; it cannot update the work-order system.
Define what the agent should prepare and which decisions belong to the meeting participants.
Set the purpose and source limits
State who will use the brief, what the meeting must accomplish, and which records are current. Limit access to the relevant site or project. Do not import a full mailbox or unrelated customer history just to fill out the agenda. Assign owners to the checklist and action log, and record the date of the work-order export.
For Marble Point, the current export lists an East Wing pump inspection as open. The last action log says the filter swap was completed, while the export still marks that task “in progress.” The maintenance checklist says the generator run test is due this quarter. These are concrete items to prepare for discussion, not proof that work was completed or that a ticket should be closed.
Draft a brief people can act on
Ask for an output that distinguishes source facts, conflicts, and decisions. A concise draft could be:
East Wing site review — Monday
- Purpose: Confirm open maintenance work and the next safe steps.
- Verified updates: Current work-order export: the pump inspection is open. Approved maintenance checklist: the quarterly generator test is due.
- Needs confirmation: Previous action log: the filter swap is complete. Current work-order export: it is still “in progress.” Ask the work-order owner to verify the status.
- Decision for the meeting: Confirm the filter-swap status before closing the ticket. No ticket has been changed.
The draft brings relevant evidence into one place while leaving conflicting records visible. It does not decide that the older action log or newer export is correct. The work-order owner confirms the status during the meeting.
Keep the brief useful and current
Use a format that fits the meeting: purpose, short agenda, confirmed updates, open questions, decisions needed, and source notes. Include the last-updated date and identify stale or missing material. If the agent cannot access a record, it should label that gap rather than fill it with an assumption.
Prepare different views only for people authorized to see them. A leadership summary may not need the same detail as a technician’s work list. Remove unnecessary personal or customer information, and let a meeting owner correct the draft before it is distributed.
Test before relying on the agenda
Try a complete source set, a missing action log, a stale export, conflicting status, and an item outside the meeting scope. Check that the draft identifies each issue, does not invent attendees or due dates, and stops before assigning work. If a person reviews the document, test what happens when they edit, reject, or leave it untouched.
For a repeatable task definition, read how to define a focused agent job. Use agent evaluation to check evidence handling and human review before a brief reaches participants.