How to have better meetings (6 Powerful Methods)

“Excessive meetings are the blight of big companies and almost always get worse over time.” – Elon Musk

Why it works

This blunt assessment from Elon Musk, shared in a 2022 email to Tesla employees, resonated deeply with many knowledge workers. And while Musk's words may seem harsh, research confirms his claim: one study found that in February 2020, professionals averaged 14.2 hours per week in meetings. By November 2021, this figure had skyrocketed by 50% to 21.5 hours weekly. Even more striking was the surge in the sheer number of meetings. The average professional's calendar became increasingly cluttered, with weekly meetings jumping from 15.1 to 25.6 – a staggering 70% increase.

If you think this trend has reversed since the pandemic waned, think again. A Microsoft study from 2023 revealed a startling statistic: time spent in Microsoft Teams meetings and calls had surged by 192% compared to 2020 – nearly tripling in just three years. Colette Stallbaumer, Microsoft’s general manager for Microsoft 365 and the “future of work”, offers a nuanced perspective. She argues that the problem isn’t meetings per se. Rather, it’s “when meetings are long, poorly run, and don’t have a clear purpose that they become a source of stress for employees and their managers”. Unsurprisingly, research by Microsoft also found that inefficient meetings were one of the biggest workplace distractions that hurt productivity in 2023. 

The cycle of unproductive meetings is all too familiar: you're in the meeting. You wait for everyone. You beat around the bush. You leave the meeting. You are exhausted. You feel that it could've been an email. Maybe you're even confused. Yet, it doesn't have to be this way. Meetings can be useful and productive. If you want to rescue your team from the meeting trap, take a look at these six experts and their powerful meeting methods.

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How to do it

1) Set a clear agenda
Start each meeting with a specific agenda. An agenda provides focus and ensures everyone knows the objectives and how to prepare. So, share the agenda beforehand so participants can review and prepare. A notable example is Jeff Bezos. He insists on distributing a detailed agenda before every meeting. This practice ensures everyone arrives ready and focused.

2) Keep meetings small
Limit the number of attendees to keep meetings productive. Smaller groups are more effective and everyone gets a chance to speak. Thus, aim for five or fewer participants to maintain deep engagement and effective decision-making. Steve Jobs, for instance, preferred meetings with no more than five participants to encourage meaningful discussion and quick decisions.

3) Stay standing
Conduct meetings standing up. Standing meetings tend to be shorter and more focused as people are less comfortable and less likely to stray off-topic. Against this background, use standing meetings for brief updates and to maintain high energy levels. A case in point is Richard Branson. He recommends standing meetings to keep discussions concise and to the point.

4) Rotate meeting locations
Change the meeting environment regularly. Different settings can spark new ideas and prevent monotony, leading to increased creativity and productivity. Hence, hold meetings in various parts of the office or outdoors to keep the environment dynamic. To put a face to this concept, consider Mark Zuckerberg. He believes in rotating meeting locations to keep the environment fresh and inspire creativity.

5) Assign roles
Designate specific roles like leader, note-taker, and timekeeper. Clear roles help manage the meeting effectively, ensuring all aspects are covered and nothing is missed. So, assign roles at the start of each meeting to keep everything organized and on track. A notable example is Sheryl Sandberg. She highlights the importance of assigning roles to ensure meetings run smoothly and efficiently.

6) End with action items
Conclude with clear action items and responsibilities. Specific action items ensure discussions lead to actionable steps and follow through. Thus, review who is responsible for each action item and set deadlines for accountability. Elon Musk demonstrates this well. He ensures every meeting ends with clear action items, so everyone knows their next steps.

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Use this list as a guide to create your perfect meeting.

Keep it simple, adapt, and refine as you go. Make every second meaningful.

And please share this post with one person who might benefit from doing the same.

Until next week,
Christian

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