Yesterday, I asked someone how their week was going, and they replied, “It’s been meeting full.” I wasn’t sure if I misheard, I asked, “Did you say meaningful?” He laughed, enjoying the idea that those two ideas are at odds. ?It got me thinking—how often does our week become less meaningful due to being full of meetings…er…meeting-full?
Here are some quick tips to ensure your meetings are meaningful rather than just meeting full:
Ideas to Make Meetings More Meaningful:
- Keep it short: Schedule meetings for 25 minutes instead of 30, or 50 minutes instead of an hour. This function is available in Outlook.
- Add consequences for going over: If a meeting runs long, the last person speaking does 10 push-ups, or contributes $10 to the team jar—make it fun but motivating.
- Stand to save time: Hold meetings short enough that everyone can stand for the duration.
- Don’t assume the duration: Create an agenda out the outset and don’t focus on filling the time, instead focus on getting done.? If done…leave.
- Don’t let your ego put you in the group: Often people end up in a meeting due to FOMO.? Don’t be that person.? If you won’t add value, decline attendance.
- Always end with action: Summarize takeaways and next steps immediately after the meeting. Share them while it’s fresh to avoid rehashing next time.
- Rethink recurring meetings: Don’t set recurring meetings for more than a quarter (ideally a month). Use the final 10 minutes of the last recurring meeting to discuss if it’s still necessary. Between recurring meetings, huddle briefly to avoid last-minute scrambling the day before.
- Set an agenda and stick to it: No agenda? No meeting. It's okay.
- Assign roles: Have someone lead, someone track time, and someone document actions.
Meetings should inspire action, align teams, and solve problems—not drain time and energy. Let’s make every meeting count!
What’s your favorite tip for making meetings more meaningful? Drop your ideas below!
