How to Run Meetings Your Team Will Actually Love

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Picture this: It’s 9 a.m. on a Monday, and your team already dreads the weekly meeting. Eyes glaze over, discussions derail, and everyone leaves wondering, “Could this have been an email?”

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Research shows that 71% of professionals say their meetings are unproductive, costing organizations time and money.

But meetings don’t have to be a drag. They can build alignment, spark creativity, and empower teams when done right. Here’s how.

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 3 Steps to Running More Effective Meetings

 1. Start with a Clear Purpose

Every meeting needs a “why.” Before sending out an invite, ask:

• What’s the specific goal of this meeting?

• What decisions or outcomes are we driving toward?

Use this formula to craft your agenda:

1. Topic: What are we addressing?

2. Objective: What do we need to achieve by the end of the meeting?

3. Action Items: What do attendees need to prepare in advance? 

Mini Case Study:

One of my clients, a marketing director, struggled with hour-long meetings that always ran over. We simplified her agenda using this format, and within a month, her team cut meeting times in half while achieving clearer outcomes.

2. Limit the Guest List

Overcrowded meetings dilute focus and lead to disengagement. Invite only those critical to the discussion. For others, provide a concise follow-up summary.

Pro Tip: Jeff Bezos’ "Two Pizza Rule" is golden—only invite as many people as two pizzas can feed. Beyond that, meetings become inefficient.

3. End with Action

The hallmark of a great meeting?

Everyone leaves knowing exactly what to do next. Wrap up with a summary of key takeaways, assigned action items, and deadlines.

Template for Closing the Meeting:

1. What we discussed: Key points and highlights.

2. Decisions made: Specific resolutions or plans.

3. Next steps: Clear, actionable tasks with owners and due dates.

Bonus Tip: Send a follow-up email summarizing the above points within 24 hours.

Why Meetings Fail

 A Harvard Business Review study found that unnecessary or poorly run meetings cost U.S. companies an estimated $37 billion annually.

 Common culprits include:

• Vague goals.

• Lack of preparation.

• Overly long or unfocused discussions.

Effective leaders view meetings as valuable investments of time. Every minute should contribute to alignment, innovation, or decision-making; otherwise, it's simply a wasted effort.

Your Challenge:

Try this exercise in your next meeting:

• Send the agenda 24 hours before with the following note: “Please review and prepare your thoughts on [topic(s)].”

• Start the meeting by asking, “What’s the one thing we need to accomplish today?”

• End by asking, “Does anyone feel like something important was missed?”

Reply to this email with the biggest change you plan to make in your next meeting. I’d love to hear how it works for you! I respond to every email.

5 Quick Meeting Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Starting Late: Waiting for everyone wastes time. Stick to the schedule.

2. Unclear Roles: Define who’s leading, contributing, and note-taking.

3. Overloading the Agenda: Keep it focused on 2-3 key topics.

4. Allowing Distractions: Encourage phones and laptops to be set aside unless necessary.

5. Skipping the Wrap-Up: Always summarize takeaways before ending.

Tools for Better Meetings:

Here are 3 tools I recommend to simplify your meetings:

1. Notion: Create collaborative agendas and action items.

2. Calendly: Schedule meetings with ease and avoid the back-and-forth of emails.

3. Miro: Use a visual board to brainstorm ideas in real-time.

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