Running Meetings People Don’t Dread
Most meetings fail before they start: no clear purpose, the wrong people in the room and no decision at the end. Fixing that is a leadership habit, not an admin task.
Teams spend a significant portion of their workweek in meetings, but much of that time isn’t always productive. The cost goes beyond lost hours. Poorly run meetings discourage participation, delay decisions, and leave employees questioning whether their contributions matter.
Start With a Clear Purpose
Before scheduling a meeting, determine what you need to accomplish:
- Inform: Are you sharing information that could be communicated through an email or brief update instead?
- Discuss: What question needs to be explored, and whose perspectives are essential?
- Decide: What decision needs to be made, who has the authority to make it, and what information is required?
Clarifying the purpose upfront helps participants prepare and makes it easier to determine whether a meeting is necessary at all.
If you can’t state a meeting’s purpose in one sentence, it probably shouldn’t be a meeting.
Encourage Meaningful Participation
Share the key question or decision in advance, rather than just an agenda topic. Make space for different perspectives by inviting input from quieter team members, allowing a moment for individual reflection, or asking participants to share their views before opening the discussion. When appropriate, encourage senior leaders to speak last so their opinions don’t unintentionally influence the conversation.
Close With Clarity and Accountability
End each meeting by confirming what was decided, who is responsible for each action, and when it needs to be completed. A brief summary ensures everyone leaves with the same understanding and reduces the need for unnecessary follow-up discussions.
A well-run meeting doesn’t simply make better use of time. It creates opportunities for meaningful collaboration, shared ownership, and better decisions.
Try this week
For your next three meetings, write the purpose and the decision needed into the invite, and close each one by reading back actions, owners and dates.
Reflect
Which of your recurring meetings would anyone miss if it stopped?
Who on your team rarely speaks in meetings, and what would make it easier for them?
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