Are You Frustrated By Meetings?
One of the most recurring issues I hear from team members to top executives is how frustrated they are with their meetings: Too many meetings, too many participants, too long, no tangible outcomes, lots of uncertainty afterwards. Here’s what I have seen improving things in countless teams.
The things you can change right away
Try finding a person who genuinely enjoys meetings. For many people, especially in corporate environments, meetings are not helpful tools, but painful rituals which drain their emotional batteries. And while there are tons of books and advice around this topic, it seems hard to grasp, what actually helps, what is feasible in your work context and what would be a fit for your team culture.
As a trained and experienced facilitation and organisational development expert, I have worked with countless teams across more than 30 countries. And there are some things which have always worked for me. No matter the country, no matter the context, no matter the team culture. Let me walk you through a few points which are mostly easy to implement for any meeting.
These visual timers work like magic — many of my clients were deeply impressed and some even ordered one directly after our meeting.
Do you even need a meeting?
Surprisingly many meetings are mainly about passing on information: A manager informs their team members about a new company policy or team members report what they have been doing or are up to doing. But meetings aren't necessary for this. It and can be done via email, a post in your collaboration software or other means. Reserve your meetings only for topics that need a real exchange of opinions, a real back and forth and development. If you have a regular Jour-Fixe (standing meeting), feel free to simply skip it, if there is nothing to discuss.
Clear meeting objectives provide focus
Write down a simple sentence explaining what you want to achieve with the meeting. No buzzwords, just plain language which your 10-year old could understand. For example: “We want to gain a common understanding of the new project we are launching.” Write the objective on a flip chart so everyone can see it at all times. If a meeting participant veers off track, gently remind them of the objective.
Decide, who really needs to participate
The meeting objective also helps defining who is really essential for the meeting - and who can simply be informed about its results. If applied consistently, this drastically clears up your team members’ calendars. It also makes the groups smaller. Smaller groups are more focused and productive.
Use something like a TimeTimer
Groups create their own dynamics and are slow by nature. When you visually remind meeting participants of the remaining time, they will be much more disciplined with their contributions and leave away unnecessary information. These timers work like magic — many of my clients were deeply impressed and some even ordered one directly after our meeting.
Document decisions during the meeting - for all to see
Most meetings lack adequate documentation, leading to lots of uncertainty (“What exactly have we decided?”; “Who is in the lead with this?”) or different interpretations by the participants. All of this inevitably triggers even more meetings. A few bullet points are enough and make a huge difference. It’s highly recommended to write them down while the meeting is still going on (not afterwards) and for everyone to see, e.g. on a flip chart. If something is unclear, participants can ask clarification questions or correct what has been written down, right away.
AI-tip: Don’t overly rely on AI meeting summaries. The AI lacks context, doesn't understand participant hierarchy, and has no idea what was discussed in the hallways before the meeting. Use AI summaries as a starting point only, then rework them until participants validate the final version.Train a few team members in facilitation
A meeting with and without facilitation is a difference like day and night. You do have the option to have a few of your team members attend a basic facilitation training. Let them facilitate your meetings and discover how focused and productive work life can be. The investment will be less than € 2,000 per person. The return will be a noticeable gain in your / your team’s quality of life.
Be honest with yourselves
Have your team express what they like and dislike about their meetings, on what works and what does not. Do you have meetings where everyone is dosing off during lengthy inputs, but they continue although no-one listens or remembers what is being said? I have had many clients who came to the conclusion “We don’t need this meeting.”, but were afraid of saying it out loud, because they thought the format was too established and “untouchable”. But, nothing is carved in stone.
A basic facilitation training can easily be implemented online with an invest of less than € 2,000 per person. With a digital whiteboard like Collaboard or Miro, the training becomes very interactive and engaging.
The things which need a deeper look
As you can see, there are a few things which can be done right away - or with little invest. That said, there are of course situations where this is simply not enough.
Sometimes the underlying issue of frustrating meetings is much more profound: Multiple, unclear layers of management, a difficult team culture, inexperienced leadership, a lack of coordination and cooperation between departments, and many more. All of them leading to many, unhelpful, unproductive meetings. The good news is that there are ways to support (inexperienced) team leaders, teams and organisations in those cases.
But it requires more than just a few tips: The best course of action would be to bring in an external organisational development consultant for support. Serious, reputable consultant professionals will accompany you, your team, your organisation to make the necessary changes.