How to Fix Meetings

Half of the time we spend in meetings feels wasted, but with better planning and strategies, every meeting can be meaningful and productive.

1. Define the Purpose First

Meetings need a reason to exist, and their purpose should guide every decision from inviting participants to crafting the agenda. Establishing a purpose ensures that time is spent discussing relevant topics and accomplishing concrete goals. Without this, meetings often meander and waste valuable work hours.

For example, a weekly team meeting should have a specific focus, like reviewing progress on current projects or brainstorming for an upcoming campaign. This keeps the discussion sharp and solutions-focused. To get started, ask your team members for the issues they’d like addressed, then draft a "purpose statement" for the meeting. A simple statement like “By the end of this meeting, we will prioritize tasks for Q4” keeps everyone aligned and intentional.

Purpose also clarifies who needs to attend and what is expected of them. Circular conversations often stem from having the wrong attendees, or attendees showing up unprepared. Sharing the purpose and agenda before the meeting lets people prepare and even opt out if it's not relevant to them.

Examples

• A team shares purpose statements like “Define roles for the upcoming project” for each meeting.
• Purposeful grocery store staff meetings cover only pressing restocking issues.
• Before a campus conference, attendees get concrete goals like voting on facility upgrades.

2. Plan with a Detailed Agenda

A well-thought-out agenda is like a road map for a meeting; it ensures everyone arrives at the planned destination without unnecessary detours. It should include the topics to be discussed, specific times allotted for each, and who is responsible for leading or contributing to those points.

Imagine breaking down an agenda like a story: The beginning introduces the issue and sets the scene, the middle develops options or solutions, and the end focuses on action steps. This storytelling model creates a natural flow and keeps the discussion focused and easy to follow. Alternatively, structuring the agenda around the six key questions—what, why, when, how, where, and who—ensures every aspect of the problem is addressed.

Details are key to making the agenda effective. Circulating the agenda in advance, along with any relevant material, ensures that participants arrive prepared and informed, instead of trying to process new information on the spot.

Examples

• A marketing team uses “story-driven” agendas to decide ad strategies.
• A sales meeting agenda includes "Update on Q3 projections" and "Next steps for client retention."
• A sudden “emergency” workplace session organizes ideas with basic six-question prompts.

3. Set Protocols for a Smooth Meeting

Much like traffic rules prevent chaos on roads, meeting protocols guide behavior and interaction to steer conversations productively. Clear protocols reduce disruptions and encourage active engagement from all participants.

For example, deciding in advance how to manage mobile devices can enhance focus. Participants could leave phones in a designated spot, or use apps like Forest to stay focused. In online meetings, keeping cameras on boosts engagement, and sharing a protocol for addressing tech issues avoids delays.

Protocols also govern how participants engage. Simple rules like “Wait to be acknowledged before speaking” ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute. Clearly communicating these expectations at the start sets the tone for respectful and organized meetings.

Examples

• Employees are asked to deposit phones in a “focus box” during brainstorming sessions.
• A tech team establishes a rule requiring video on for small virtual meetings.
• A facilitator asks attendees to use hand signals for addressing issues instead of interrupting.

4. Invite the Right People

Effective meetings aren’t about including everyone—they’re about inviting the people who add value to the discussion. Overcrowding a meeting dilutes conversation, while inviting the wrong participants wastes time and energy.

Select contributors carefully based on their roles, expertise, and viewpoints. This approach not only brings the necessary knowledge into the space but also avoids the noise of too many opinions. For every individual invited, clearly articulate why they are being included—this makes participation purposeful.

Assigning roles like chairperson, minute-taker, and timekeeper also keeps meetings organized. While the chair facilitates the core discussion, the minute-taker captures takeaways and assigned tasks. The timekeeper ensures discussions don’t overrun and derail other agenda items.

Examples

• A startup invites only the product lead, marketer, and engineer for a product update.
• A community meeting appoints facilitators to oversee specific agenda parts.
• Timekeepers gently wrap up digressed discussions and steer back to the agenda.

5. Use Pauses Wisely

Pauses can be powerful tools during meetings, whether they’re used to re-energize attendees, reflect on key points, or manage tension. Structured breaks create mental clarity and improve the focus of conversations that follow.

Practical pauses help prevent fatigue during long sessions. Even a quick bathroom break can be enough to re-energize people. Reflective pauses allow attendees to process information, jot down thoughts, or organize their ideas before responding. Strategic pauses can resolve tension, refocus discussions, or build momentum for small group work.

In particularly heated meetings, an intentional pause helps cool emotions and create a pathway for more constructive dialogue. Similarly, when discussions hit a stalemate, taking five minutes off to work in smaller pairs or groups can often reinvigorate conversations.

Examples

• A quarterly planning day includes 10-minute breaks every hour.
• Brainstorming sessions use reflective pauses for jotting down and refining ideas.
• A directorial board pauses tense debate by moving to small group discussions temporarily.

6. Tackle Dominant Voices

Dominant or influential individuals can unintentionally skew the meeting’s outcomes by overpowering others’ voices. Ensuring balanced contributions requires strategic facilitation.

One strategy is taking turns to let every participant contribute, ensuring quieter members have a chance to speak. Writing ideas on a shared whiteboard or flip chart can also give equal opportunity to everyone. For particularly influential attendees—like executives—asking them to speak last minimizes their sway on the group.

Entrepreneur Avinash Kaushik describes the “HiPPO effect”—when the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion outweighs other valuable ideas. If you’re the influential figure in the room, focus on asking questions and stepping back to let others lead.

Examples

• A chair rotates opening questions to each attendee systematically.
• Teams write their thoughts anonymously onto index cards before a group vote.
• Leaders deliberately let others finalize their input before providing opinions themselves.

7. Focus on Post-Meeting Action

Without clear follow-up actions, even the best-planned meeting becomes meaningless. Organize next steps before participants leave the room to ensure momentum isn’t lost.

Meeting follow-through often involves “next physical actions” (tasks with clear instructions and deadlines) and “delegated outcomes” (final goals with room for flexibility on how they’re reached). Assigning these responsibilities during the meeting ensures accountability.

To keep things moving, wrap up the session with a “kickoff” approach—let participants start their tasks immediately. Hosting Power Hours, where colleagues meet to tackle their action items, keeps everyone motivated and helps complete the next steps faster.

Examples

• A manager assigns action items directly before a meeting concludes.
• A team starts drafting their next project plan collaboratively during the last 15 minutes.
• A recurring Power Hour helps attendees complete outstanding action items weekly.

8. Balance Yin and Yang in Meetings

Productive meetings balance “yin” energy—calm and reflective—with “yang” energy—aggressive, goal-driven. Teams thrive in environments where both energies complement each other.

Yin practices include actively listening, staying calm, and valuing everyone’s input. This fosters collaboration and consideration during discussions. At the same time, yang energy drives outcomes through focused goals and decisive timelines.

Overemphasizing one energy can lead to inefficiency—too much yin leaves meetings unproductive, while too much yang introduces pressure and conflict. By alternating between these approaches thoughtfully, meetings deliver value.

Examples

• A manager listens and paraphrases teammates’ ideas to amplify yin, then builds consensus on goals as yang.
• An office introduces “no-meeting Fridays” to restore yin energy into a busy yang-heavy week.
• Teams set 40-minute hard limits on meetings to enforce yang-driven work-focus throughout.

9. Adopt Fewer, Better Meetings

Attending too many meetings drains energy and time. Opt instead to focus on quality rather than quantity, attending fewer meetings that add the most value to your role.

Evaluate whether your presence at every invited meeting is essential. Offering a colleague to represent you or contributing written input is often just as effective. Setting personal meeting boundaries—like maximum hours per week—helps conserve your energy for what matters.

Shorter meetings also improve focus. Clear, concise events force teams to address key priorities without straying, resulting in better outcomes.

Examples

• An executive sets a rule to attend no more than one meeting per day.
• A designer declines repeated invites in favor of completing project deadlines individually.
• A workshop team experiments cutting sessions by 20 minutes for highly productive wrap-ups.

Takeaways

1. Always define a specific meeting purpose and share it with participants beforehand.
2. Use agendas, role assignments, and proper breaks to make meetings focused and balanced.
3. End each session by assigning action items and organizing follow-through efforts.