Stop Purposeless Meetings and Increase Employee Engagement

Oh-those-ever-dreaded-meetings. And how they can suck the life out of your staff and the organization. A easy way to improve employee engagement is by reducing the number of meetings.

SHRM reports that over 50% of surveyed workers say that purposeless meetings are the number one cause of fatigue.

And we're not surprised. Meeting-itis turned into the corporate world's pandemic. And it crept up on everyone because leaders simply forgot to ask a simple question. "Why?"

The Problem with Work Meetings

Yes, we'll have some die-hard meetingers here, but the reality is, work meetings are, generally, not necessary. Here's why:

Lack of Clear Purpose:

Many meetings happen simply because they’ve been scheduled. "It's on the calendar!" Ugh. When the purpose isn’t defined, the meeting often drifts, with participants not really knowing what they’re meant to accomplish.Every single attendee should have clear takeaways, actions, and a timeline to implement those actions. Period.

Too Many Participants:

Often, meetings include people who don’t actually need to be there. If only a subset of the team is needed to discuss certain points, including everyone just slows things down and reduces the time for meaningful participation.

Over-Scheduling:

It’s easy to fill up the calendar with recurring meetings, often because they’re "just in case." But these repetitive gatherings, especially if they’re too frequent, can become a drain without adding much value. Many times, decisions can be made over email, chat, or project management tools.

How to Make Meetings Matter

Eventually, you're going to need to meet. We don't work in silos. But, by implementing some smart practices, meetings can be fast, effective, and meaningful. Here's how:

Limit the Length and Frequency of Meetings:

Be mindful of how long and how often meetings are scheduled. Instead of the default 60-minute meeting, consider shorter, more focused sessions. And, whenever possible, avoid back-to-back meetings to give your teams the chance to breathe and regroup.

Set Clear Agendas in Advance:

A lot of time gets wasted when meetings don’t have a clear direction. Share agendas ahead of time, so everyone can come prepared, keeping discussions more focused and productive.

Invite Only Essential Participants:

We’ve all been in meetings where there are too many people, and it drags on because everyone’s input is needed. Really, people sometimes just want to talk. A lot. Be more selective with who attends. If someone doesn’t need to be there, don't invite them. It’ll save everyone time.

Encourage Active Participation:

To keep people engaged, consider rotating roles like facilitators or note-takers. It could also help to incorporate interactive tools like polls or feedback during the meeting. This will keep everyone active and invested in the conversation.

Many organizations, particularly with remote workers, have meetingitis. Beware, because they drain time and energy without adding value. Consider this: a one hour meeting with twenty participants is twenty work hours. That puts it in perspective.

Reduce workplace interruptions, including those unnecessary, scheduled meetings. Just because it's "on the calendar" doesn't mean it's necessary. Or, as David Grady says, "Save the world, or youself, from bad meetings."

Stop Purposeless Meetings and Increase Employee Engagement

The Maddening and Detrimental Effects of Meaningless Meetings

The Problem with Work Meetings

Lack of Clear Purpose:

Too Many Participants:

Over-Scheduling:

How to Make Meetings Matter

Limit the Length and Frequency of Meetings:

Set Clear Agendas in Advance:

Invite Only Essential Participants:

Encourage Active Participation:

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