"This Meeting Could've Been an Email" — And How to Fix That
We've all been there. An hour blocked on the calendar, a conference room full of people, and one person talking through an update that could've been three bullet points in a Slack message. As everyone shuffles out, someone mutters what everyone was already thinking.
But the solution isn't to cancel all meetings. It's to make them actually worth showing up for.
The Conference Room Isn't Sacred
One of the biggest myths about meetings is that they need to look a certain way — formal agenda, hour on the clock, everyone seated around a table. But the most effective meetings often don't look like that at all.
A healthcare team might do a quick pre-shift huddle. A remote team spread across time zones might swap real-time calls for shared documents or async video updates. The format should serve the team, not the other way around.
A Simple Framework That Actually Helps
Before scheduling your next meeting, try running it through three questions: Pause, Consider, Act.
Pause — Take an honest look at your current meeting habits. Are they too frequent? Too sparse? Are people constantly pinging you between meetings because they don't have enough structured time with you? That's a sign something needs adjusting.
Consider — Get clear on the purpose. A one-on-one serves a different goal than a team brainstorm. Think about it from your team's perspective, too. Do they feel overwhelmed? Under-informed? The answer changes how you should show up.
Act — Make the changes. Share agendas ahead of time, show up prepared, and make sure everyone walks away knowing what happens next. A meeting without clear action items is just a conversation with a calendar invite.
Meetings Should Make Work Easier, Not Harder
When meetings have a real purpose, they help people understand what matters, what's expected, and how their work connects to everyone else's. When they don't, people quietly hope for a cancellation notification.
The goal isn't to have fewer meetings or more meetings — it's to have intentional ones. And when you get that right, the best feedback you'll ever hear is someone walking out saying, "That was actually a really good meeting."