Skip to content
Work

What a good team meeting actually looks like

Shorter, rarer and with a clear decision at the end. Here is a format that teams keep coming back to.

Three people laughing around a table
Photo by Brooke Cagle / Unsplash

Most meetings fail for the same reasons: no clear purpose, the wrong people in the room, and no decision at the end. The fix is less about software and more about habits.

A person presenting during a meeting
Photo by Headway / Unsplash

Before you send the invitation, write one sentence: what will be decided by the end of this meeting? If you cannot write it, you probably need a document, not a meeting.

Invite only the people needed for the decision. Share the context in writing a day ahead. Start with the question, not the update. End by saying the decision out loud, and who does what next.

A meeting without a decision is just a long, expensive message.

Teams that adopt this format often find they meet half as often, and enjoy it more.

Share

Ines Okafor

Covers work, habits and the small rituals that keep a week on track.

Join our community

Get notified about upcoming articles.

Great! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription.