Meetings are expensive and often unwelcome. They are organized with good intentions and pitched as the best method of communication to resolve a conflict, develop a strategy, or discuss an important topic. However, in many cases, the effort never delivers on the anticipated value. Recurring meetings or the “forever” meetings that sit in your calendar week after week are great examples of the types of meetings that eventually fail. They are justified for reasons like team check-ins, strategic alignment, and brainstorming, however, in many circumstances, they either lose value over time or never deliver on the value anticipated by the organizer. Common characteristics where this failure occurs are a misalignment of the meeting type and purpose, not inviting the right individuals, not establishing roles and responsibilities, and not having an experimental mindset to solicit feedback to identify shortcomings and make changes.
Meeting Revamp Journey
In the past year since assuming the role as the head of my department, I spent time developing an eye for meeting efficiency and addressing structural flaws in our department meetings. My journey began by relearning the basics of successful meeting structures. It was not the most exhilarating use of my time, but it proved invaluable. Using this knowledge, I began to remove meetings either temporarily, to make necessary adjustments, or permanently, if they weren’t providing enough value. The decision to retain and update or remove a meeting was based on the following key criteria:
- Understanding and communication of purpose/objective
- Aligning the expectations and format
- Invitation of participants
- Agenda structure and time-blocking
- Establishment of role and responsibilities of participants
If you follow this criteria, you will likely discover, as I did, that many of your meetings never check off the first step of purpose and objective. Without this foundation, meetings often devolve into misleading conversations, communication breakdowns, and lack of clarity with the next steps. Recognizing any issues with the criteria above should lead to prompt reflection, feedback, and action.
When any change is made to the meeting based on the criteria above you should be transparent with all meeting attendees. I would recommend making a formal presentation to the participants guiding them through the “5 W’s and an H,” communicating the change clearly, and guiding the meeting back to a successful path. While it requires additional effort by the organizer, I have found that it has had a substantial impact on creating a universal understanding of the meeting purpose and accountability with all attendees to ensure we stay on course.
Experimental Mindset
Even with the best intentions, expectations can end up different than reality. While some see this as a failure, others see opportunity. Adopting an experimental mindset will allow you to accept the presence of flaws even after following this process. Rather than writing off the effort as a failure, leading many to scrap the meeting or be content with meeting flaws, examine these challenges, approach them with curiosity, and be driven to find a new solution. With an experimental mindset, meeting structures transform into dynamic, adaptable systems, shaped and refined through ongoing reflection and the incorporation of diverse perspectives.
Recognize what has and hasn’t worked from your perspective, and then validate, challenge, and expand your understanding by dedicating a meeting to gathering feedback. This approach often reveals shared aspirations for improving how time is spent and generates renewed energy and commitment to driving changes that deliver greater value. Use the feedback to refine the meeting structure, and you’ll begin to see it regain focus and effectiveness. In some instances, I’ve reached the third iteration of a meeting’s structure and observed a significant improvement in the quality of conversations and actions as a result.
Guide the Way
Changing my approach and perspective on recurring meetings from a necessary evil to an important use of time for collaboration and creative innovation has been transformative. By applying the criteria outlined above and adopting an experimental mindset, I have been able to turn my recurring meetings into valuable tools that drive more impact and align the team effectively. The process of continuous reflection, feedback, and adjustment has proven essential in creating meeting structures that are dynamic, purpose-driven, and focused on delivering results. A worthwhile investment that reflects the true value of your time.