Want more effective meetings? Follow these proven strategies
Meetings are an essential part of professional life, yet they are often criticized as unproductive and time-consuming. Research suggests that the average professional spends nearly a third of their workweek in meetings, and many of those are deemed unnecessary.
In high-paced industries such as technology startups, the pressure to maximize efficiency has led many to question their value. However, experts argue that when meetings are structured effectively, they remain a vital tool for achieving business goals.
For small business owners and professionals, finding the time for meetings—let alone ensuring they are productive—can be a challenge. Poorly structured meetings can feel like a drain on resources, but those that are well-planned and executed provide significant benefits, including:
- Aligning strategy, goals and tactics
- Improving accountability and results
- Building relationships and trust
- Enhancing business communication (over 90 per cent of human communication is non-verbal—facial expressions, body language, tone and pacing all matter.)
- Providing opportunities for social interaction and collaboration
 Are meetings helping or hurting your business? |
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How to run an effective meeting
A well-structured meeting improves productivity, engagement and decision-making. To be truly effective, meetings require careful planning before, during and after the session.
Before the meeting
- Set a clear purpose. Define the objective: Are you informing, persuading, deciding, brainstorming or strategizing?
- Create a structure. Share an agenda in advance, set a reasonable timeframe and schedule meetings at an optimal time.
- Engage key participants early. Building rapport before the meeting fosters smoother discussions and stronger buy-in.
- Clarify the desired outcome. What decisions need to be made? What actions should follow?
- Choose the right attendees. Limit participation to those who need to be there to avoid unnecessary distractions.
During the meeting
- Reiterate the purpose upfront. Keeping everyone aligned ensures focus and productivity.
- Respect time limits. An hour-long meeting that drags on for 90 minutes undermines engagement.
- Encourage participation. Solicit input, check for understanding and foster discussion.
- Clearly state next steps. Avoid ambiguity—assign responsibilities before ending the meeting.
- Assign meeting roles. Designate a facilitator to keep discussions on track, a timekeeper to manage the schedule and a note-taker to document key points.
After the meeting
- Summarize key takeaways. Send a recap of decisions made and action items.
- Follow up. Ensure tasks are completed and keep the momentum going.
- Maintain relationships. Effective meetings reinforce professional bonds and workplace culture.
The changing nature of meetings
The pandemic forced organizations to adopt remote meetings and hybrid work models, making virtual meetings the norm. While many companies have since brought employees back to the office, remote meetings continue to play a key role, particularly for teams spread across multiple locations. However, organizations must be mindful of virtual meeting fatigue—too many digital collaboration tools and excessive meetings can be counterproductive.
Technology’s role in better meetings
Advancements in technology have significantly improved meeting productivity by reducing administrative burdens and enhancing collaboration. Digital tools that can improve meeting effectiveness include:
- Artificial intelligence-powered assistants (such as Otter.ai and Fireflies) can transcribe meetings and highlight key action points, reducing the need for manual note-taking and ensuring accountability.
- Project management platforms (e.g., Asana, Trello, Notion) streamline workflows by assigning tasks and tracking progress, helping to ensure follow-through on action items.
- Collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace) enable real-time discussions, document sharing and seamless integration with meeting agendas, allowing teams to work more effectively before and after meetings.
- Scheduling software (e.g., Calendly, Doodle) simplifies meeting coordination by identifying available time slots and reducing scheduling conflicts.
- Time-efficient meeting formats. Many companies now cap meetings at 25 or 45 minutes to improve efficiency and minimize cognitive overload.
Avoiding common meeting pitfalls
Despite the best intentions, meetings can quickly become counterproductive if they are not managed well. Common pitfalls include:
- Lack of preparation. Ensure all attendees review the agenda beforehand.
- Overuse of slides. Too many PowerPoint slides can disengage participants—use visuals sparingly.
- Unstructured discussions. Stick to the agenda and table unrelated topics for later.
- Failure to follow up. Meetings without execution waste time—track action items post-meeting.
Do you really need a meeting?
Not every issue warrants a meeting. Use the following criteria to decide:
- Does this require alignment on strategy or big-picture thinking?
- Is a decision best reached collaboratively?
- Would a face-to-face discussion strengthen relationships and trust?
- Can the goal be accomplished through an email, Slack message or project management tool instead?
If a meeting is necessary, it is up to the organizer to ensure it is productive. With clear objectives, structured discussions and the right technological tools, meetings can be a powerful tool rather than a time-wasting obligation. By taking a thoughtful approach, professionals can turn meetings from a necessary chore into a valuable asset for collaboration and business growth.
| Business Desk
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