“A good meeting is one that leaves you with clarity about what needs to be done—and the desire to do it,” says Louis Vareille, author of Meetingitis–Make it Stop! and a 40-year veteran of international business.
A survey of 5,000 knowledge workers across four continents found that meetings were the main reason workers struggled to get their work done. So what’s the secret to hosting (and attending) a good meeting?
Vareille breaks down what to do—and what not to do—to start fostering a more productive meeting culture.
Do
1. Set an informative agenda
Organizational psychologist and leadership consultant Roger Schwartz suggests using questions: rather than creating a meeting entitled, “Payroll 2025,” try calling it, “By how much can we afford to increase the payroll allocated to training in 2025?”
This will lead to more focused discussions and better-prepared participants.
2. Share resources ahead of time
“It makes no sense to spend your time presenting slides and results in meetings,” Vareille says. “These should be shared beforehand so that the participants can immediately enter into discussions.”
3. Foster psychological safety
Use techniques to make sure all points of view are heard. Pay attention to the participants' experience and ensure that the conditions are right for them to perform at their best.
4. Check your attitude
The manager should set an example. “Words lead. Action teaches. All the gestures and words a manager uses will consciously or unconsciously influence the team,” says Vareille.
Don't
1. Tolerate sloppiness
Punctuality is key. It is a way of showing respect for your colleagues and the company.
“In meetings led by managers who do not start on time, the message is clear: it is not important, and other people’s time has no value,” says Vareille.
2. Hold long, unfocused gatherings
Invest time in defining a goal and the results that are expected from an interaction in advance. Meetings should be as short as possible to achieve your aims, with as few people as necessary. That means no more than eight people if you want to make a decision.
Using the Scrum method, for example, involves holding very short meetings daily, one weekly as well as having planning meetings and review meetings.
3. Expect everyone to be comfortable taking the lead
Invest in training for managers and make use of champions. Go to them for advice saying: “I have a complicated meeting, how would you do it?” or, “Come observe one of my meetings, tell me what I can do better.”
This will set up a positive culture of continuous learning.
4. Be afraid to ask for feedback
HR should survey employees to understand the organizational attitude towards meetings: is there too many, are they high quality, and if they are a blocker to productivity.
Managers should also invite feedback after every meeting. “Dare to ask participants what they thought of the meeting. Then use this information to adjust your practices,” says Vareille. “Use the feedback to help people make progress together and reinforce the culture. Be open to trying new things.”
This piece was adapted from the work of Rose Costello in FUTURE(S).
Want to hear more from Louis Vareille and other experts about how rethinking our meeting culture might be the first step to rethinking how we spend time at work?
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