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Meetings Don't Have to Suck
Winning at Work Meetings: A Survival Guide.

Poorly run meetings are like watching the Colorado Rockies—awkward, hard to fix, and embarrassing for everyone involved.
In the post-COVID world, sometimes my work life feels like one long meeting. But love them or hate them, meetings are the bread and butter of the modern workplace. When they’re a mess, they suck the life out of the entire day.
On the flip side, a well-run meeting can be pure magic. It connects the team, aligns everyone’s goals, and gives people a chance to stand out.
So, let’s dive into the secret sauce of running a good meeting. From prep work to managing the chaos, and what to do when it’s all over—we’ll turn your meetings into something spectacular… or at least less soul-sucking.
Preparing the Meeting
You don’t need to spend hours prepping for a meeting. A little prep usually gets things running smoothly. And let's be honest, sometimes the best meetings are the ones that never happen. Only meet when you’ve actually got something to discuss. It’s totally fine to cancel that weekly meeting if there’s nothing on the agenda. But remember, sometimes meetings are just about keeping the team vibe strong, so don’t become the meeting killer by canceling too often.
Beyond that, here are a few key components to consider in advance of running a meeting:
The Type of Meeting: How you run a meeting might vary depending on its type. For example, brainstorming sessions generate new ideas and solutions, while weekly team meetings keep everyone aligned on goals and progress. Status updates are brief and focused on current developments, and decision-making meetings involve key stakeholders to reach important conclusions. One-on-one meetings provide personalized feedback and address individual concerns. Your approach will change depending on the type of meeting you are running.
The Purpose and Objectives: Go into the meeting knowing why you are meeting. Clearly state why the meeting is necessary and what you want to achieve. The worst meetings are the ones where people don’t know who is running the meeting or why they are there. Also, be aware of the type of meeting you are running.
The Agenda: Well-run meetings start with preparation. You don’t necessarily have to spend hours putting together an agenda, but 10-15 minutes spent knowing what you want to cover, creating a little structure, and reviewing discussion items makes all the difference. Also, do your best to send the agenda out to participants so they know what to expect.
The People: Depending on the meeting, be sure to invite only those necessary for the discussion and decision-making. I am a big fan of the optional invitee. Use the tools in your calendar system to let people know if they can opt in to the meeting or not.
The Setup: Pick a time that works for everyone, considering different time zones if needed. Everyone hates Friday afternoon meetings, and don’t be the jerk in Seattle who ends up scheduling a 7 pm meeting for that poor soul in the Eastern time zone. If meeting in person, make sure the meeting room is ready. Check your chairs, room temperature, and clutter on the table. If there are digital participants, make sure the tech is set and everything is functional before the meeting starts.
Running the meeting
Once the meeting starts, you're the ringmaster of this three-ring circus. Your job is to keep the lions tamed and the clowns in line. Kick things off on time, make sure everyone’s present and accounted for, and don’t forget to take notes (or assign that job to someone trustworthy). Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Getting Started: For smaller meetings, I like to leave a couple of minutes for some banter among the team. Once the meeting gets going, outline the agenda so people know what to expect. I do a quick run-through and then jump in. I try to keep it light and casual but always focused.
Get Others Involved: Try not to be the only one speaking the entire time. Use round-the-rooms to get people involved, call on project leads to give updates, and ask people questions to get them talking. You’re not Cicero; no one wants to hear a 10-minute monologue. Mix things up to keep everyone’s attention from drifting off.

Watch the Clock: As the meeting rolls on, keep one eye on the clock so you don’t drag things out or skip important topics. There’s nothing worse than having to schedule another meeting because you missed the main points. It's fine to let the conversation flow and adjust the agenda if things are going well—but make sure it’s a deliberate choice, not because the meeting spiraled out of control. Respect everyone’s time and don’t let the meeting overrun. And hey, if you cover everything before the hour (or half-hour) is up, wrap it up early. Trust me, everyone will love you for it.
Watch the Room: Keep an eye on everyone in the meeting, whether they’re in-person or virtual. Watch out for folks zoning out, scrolling on their phones, or even dozing off (it happens, trust me). As the meeting runner, you’re also the referee. Passionate discussions are great, but if things heat up, steer everyone back to the agenda and suggest hashing it out offline. And for those who lose focus and start droning on, it’s perfectly okay to jump in and bring them back on track. Some phrases I like to use to jump in are:
Let’s circle back to…
Can we come back to this?
How about we take this offline?
Let me jump in and bring us back to…
How far down this road do we want to go?
Ending the Meeting: Ending on time (or sooner) is super important. I like to wrap up with a few minutes to spare to summarize key points, highlight action items, and check for any final questions or thoughts. Make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them as they leave, and ensure you’ve achieved your meeting goals. If not, set up next steps or follow up offline to get there.
After the Meeting
Once the meeting wraps up, your job isn’t over. Take about 10 minutes to tidy up your notes and send out follow-up items. This is another reason to end the meeting early. I’m even thinking about making meetings 45 minutes instead of an hour just for this reason. Remember Parkinson’s Law: work will expand to fill the time allotted for its completion. Adjust meeting times so you don’t fill the time unnecessarily.
If you’re stuck in a marathon of back-to-back meetings, carve out some time in your calendar to review all your meetings and get organized.
Sometimes meetings lead to more meetings, so make sure you schedule follow-ups and tackle any unresolved issues that popped up during the meeting.
Conclusion
Nailing the art of a great meeting can change a workday from chaos to calm. Just a pinch of prep, smooth sailing during the meeting, and a little effort in the follow-up, and voila! Your meetings go from “Ugh, another one?” to “Wow, we crushed it!” Or at the very least “OK that wasn’t so bad.”
The trick is to stay sharp, respect everyone’s time, and keep things loose and casual. It’s unlikely that meetings will be everyone’s favorite part of the day, but at least they can be more fun than watching the Rockies…they really are quite bad.