🤝

How to Run an Effective Meeting

Meetings can drive progress or suck the life out of a day. Here’s how to make sure yours do the former.

This is a condensed version of what I walk through with execs at Scaled Enablement—high level, straightforward, and results-focused.

  1. Do a gut check—does this really need to be a meeting?

    2. If you can handle it in an email, chat, or Loom, skip the meeting. If it’s a sensitive or complex issue, sure, meet live. Otherwise, avoid the calendar invite.

  2. Invite only the necessary players.

    3. Meetings eat up serious resources, so make sure the right people are in the room and the rest aren’t. If it’s a one-hour meeting with 20 people, that’s 20 hours, plus their prep time, out the window if it’s wasted.

  3. Define the purpose upfront.

    4. Know why you’re meeting, what needs to get done, and what people need to bring. This doesn’t have to be complicated; just get clear so you don’t waste time. Quick 15-minute scrums can sometimes do the job better than dragging everyone into an hour-long discussion.

  4. Prep people ahead of time.

    5. If they need background info, send it out in advance. Make sure they come with updates, feedback, questions, or whatever’s needed. If someone doesn’t have anything to contribute, ask yourself why they’re there.

  5. Prewire tough topics.

    6. If you’re diving into sensitive or controversial waters, give the key stakeholders a heads-up first. That way, you’re not blindsided by issues that could’ve been smoothed over beforehand.

  6. Keep things moving.

    7. Stick to the agenda, limit off-track comments, and encourage active input where it counts. Meetings should end with decisions and action items, not just more talk.

  7. Consider the setup.

    8. If it’s in person, choose a spot where people can focus—good lighting, comfortable space, etc. The environment matters more than we think.

  8. Close with clear follow-up.

    9. Decisions and action items should have clear owners and deadlines. Meetings aren’t over when everyone leaves the room—they’re over when the tasks are done.

Run meetings like this, and you’ll see real results. Less fluff, more action.