Meetings: What to do and definitely not do as a leader

Principles of meetings:

1. Leadership is responsible for the cadence, volume, ratio of time spent, setting expectations and etiquette, outcomes, and efficacy of your organization’s meetings.

2. They are inevitable. Instead of doing something drastic like cancelling your 1:1s (don’t), instead set clear expectations for behaviors, ratios, and principles.

3. Meetings never get in the way of goals. IE. “We are in too many meetings” is never an excuse. Actively confront this when it is used and never accept it as a reason for slow deliverables.

4. Conduct meeting triage every quarter or when meetings exceed 10% over allotted time allocation. Yes there’s a formula for ideal time spent on managing!

5. Always have an agenda, don’t be afraid to ask people to return to it.

6. Always conclude with clear action steps and who is responsible for what by when.

7. Everyone has video on or it can be an email. For anyone who insists their video can stay off, they likely don’t need to be there. If you’re hybrid, make sure that you also have the conference room wired for video.

8. It’s okay to be late.

Meetings destroy the system from within

The call is coming from inside the house! Meetings suck for more reasons than just time. Here are a few reasons and what you can do about it as a leader:

1. They become the pace setter. Folks wait to do anything until the night before the meeting because well, most of us in tech went to school and that’s pretty much the pace. Prevent this by checking in via the dedicated project channel, on a regular basis in between meetings (like 48 hours before) so that people are held accountable for moving their parts forward consistently every day, instead of the night before the assignment is due.

2. They become places for talkers to talk. A CEO once told me, “you and so-and-so sometimes have your video off, I can’t tell if you’re paying attention.” If you see me turn my video off, it’s because I’m done listening and the speaker is no longer deserving of the attention. If you’re on a tangent, respect everyone’s time, make your point, and <insert Dave Chappelle meme here> wrap it up.

3. Similarly, those who don’t make room for more voices can lose trust and respect by not actively listening. Make eye contact with your camera, not some spreadsheet off to the side. Be fully present so you can listen to understand and internalize what your team of experts is sharing with you. Otherwise it will be a challenge to maintain psychological safety for those who are hesitant to engage.

4. They interrupt flow and focus. You’re deep into a project, making real progress, and then bam — calendar notification. Meetings can slam the brakes on your productivity, and the time it takes to get back in the zone afterward feels like forever. Context switching is an incredible timesuck, and we do our best work when we are experiencing flow.

5. People schedule meetings just to feel busy. Ever been in a meeting that easily could’ve been an email? Yeah, me too. Sometimes meetings are about optics - looking productive instead of actually being productive. Don’t use meetings to justify your existence; use them if they’re absolutely necessary.

6. They encourage groupthink. Throw too many people into one virtual room, and the loudest voices dominate while original ideas get drowned out. Or worse, everyone agrees just to avoid conflict. That’s not collaboration — it’s creative suffocation. If you want real input, skip the “agree?” style meeting and weave your questions into your one-on-ones instead.

7. Tech issues. Technology is awesome… until it isn’t. “Can you hear me?” “I think you’re on mute.” “Oh no, I’m frozen!” Virtual meetings often waste precious minutes dealing with glitches or connectivity problems. That’s time and energy none of us are getting back.

8. They’re exhausting in ways people don’t talk about. Even just sitting through meetings drains you. There’s the pressure to look engaged on video, the mental gymnastics required to focus for an hour, and the frustration of work piling up while you’re stuck talking. Meetings don’t just waste your time — they leave you burnt out, too.

9. They can be used as excuses. Even by the leaders themselves. Take this director for example, who used this on a sacred Monday morning (I am a TGIM person) to tell me that everyone is sitting in meetings and therefore will not be working quite as fast as I am used to. This is a really great example of why leaders need to follow their own rules:

leaders, don’t act like this.

Why are we still doing this to ourselves?

It’s OK to decline a meeting. Next time someone suggests yet another meeting, ask yourself — could this just be an email? Your time is valuable. Don’t be afraid to protect it.

Setting expectations with a policy

The only way to encourage certain behaviors and point out ones to avoid is by setting expectations with policies. When it comes to meetings, leaders need to think about what they’re willing to do ensure that “meeting creep” doesn’t eat into the real meat of the day — and that might mean stopping and recalibrating. Otherwise, you risk falling complacent under the lullably of constant meetings, and that behavior will be mirrored by your team.

Sample meeting policy

Feel free to copy and paste this to your company’s liking.

Also check out Notion’s collection of meeting templates for every type of meeting under the sun ☀️

[Company Name] Meeting Policy

At [Company Name], we are committed to supporting a work environment where meetings don’t interfere with our work, they actually bring more alignment, creativity, and productivity. This policy outlines our approach to meetings so we can all make the most of our time.

Meeting frequency and cadence: Speak with your manager if the amount of time you spend in meetings exceeds more than 15-20% of your total weekly time. However if you are a manager, you’ll find effective management takes about 7-10% of your time per direct report.

1. Scheduling meetings

• Know the “why”. Before you book a meeting, make sure you know the purpose and clear outcome you need that only this meeting can solve.

• Keep it short. Schedule for 25 or 50 minutes instead of the default 30 or 60 to allow a breather between meetings.

• Skip the meeting if you can. If an email, chat, or project tool solves the issue, try that first.

• Check calendars first. Respect availability and don’t double-book or schedule over blocks for focus, lunch, or personal time without asking.

2. Prepping for a meeting

• Send an agenda. Include your agenda in the calendar invite or send it out at least a day ahead. Start with making a copy of [Company Name Template] and modifying it to your team’s needs.

• Share prep materials. If there’s something to read beforehand, send it out at least 24 hours in advance so people can come prepared.

• Be punctual. Show up on time. If being late becomes a habit, it’s something to address with your manager or team lead.

3. Running the meeting

• Respect the clock. Start and end meetings on time so everyone has time to wrap up and prepare for their next block of time.

• Stay focused. The organizer / meeting host keeps things on track. Got off-topic ideas? Add them to a “parking lot” list for later.

• Speak up! Make space for everyone to share. Tools like round-robin or quick check-ins can help quieter folks join the conversation.

4. Wrapping things up

• Action items are key. End with clear next steps. Who’s doing what? By when? Write it down.

• Share notes. Send out a summary of decisions and actions within 24 hours.

• Follow through. Check back on action items in your next meeting or update.

5. Recurring meetings

• Readjust every quarter. A recurring meeting is only needed for 1:1s with your manager, monthly with your team, and every 2 weeks for OKR-based projects. Every few months, ask: “Do we still need this meeting?” If it’s not adding value or the outcomes aren’t clear, adjust or cancel it.

6. Meeting etiquette

• Default to cameras on. For remote meetings, turning on your camera helps keep things personal and connected. If a number of folks don’t have cameras on, could this conversation have happened async?

• Eliminate distractions. Mute your notifications and avoid multitasking so you can focus.

• Respect every view and the speaker. We encourage everyone to share, and actively listen to others so you can foster psychological safety that allows for meaningful discussion.

[Company Name] [team responsible] reviews and updates this policy every year and when we receive feedback. To submit feedback, please share your views on how to host more effective meetings at [Company Name]: [Suggestion Box link or Email address]

Policy last reviewed and updated: DATE

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