Meeting Hygiene: How to Run Meetings People Don't Dread

Meetings aren't bad. Unnecessary, unprepared and overlong meetings are. Fix those three things and most teams win back several hours a week.

Rule 1: Every meeting has a written purpose

Before sending an invite, finish this sentence: "By the end of this meeting, we will have…" If you can't, it's probably an update — and updates can usually be written.

Rule 2: Agenda in the invite

List the topics, who leads each one and how long it gets. People can prepare, and anyone who's only needed for one item can join for that part.

Rule 3: Invite the fewest people possible

Every attendee adds cost. A one-hour meeting with eight people is eight hours of work. Run your own numbers in the meeting cost calculator — it's often a surprise.

Ask for each invitee: are they making the decision, providing information they alone have, or doing the work afterwards? If none of those, send them the notes instead.

Rule 4: Default to 25 or 50 minutes

Shorter defaults leave a buffer between meetings and force focus. Most calendar apps have a "speedy meetings" setting.

Rule 5: Start with the decision

Open with what you need to decide, not with background. Background goes in a pre-read.

Rule 6: End with owners and dates

The last five minutes are the most important. Every action gets one owner and one date. Write them down where everyone can see them.

Rule 7: Audit your calendar monthly

Look at recurring meetings. For each one, ask: if this didn't exist, would we create it today? Cancel or shorten at least one.

Meeting-free time

Many teams now protect at least one meeting-free block per week — a morning, an afternoon or a whole day. It helps deep-focus work styles most, but every style benefits from predictable focus time.

Meetings and work styles

• Coordinators and Mentors often run the best meetings — and also risk filling everyone's calendar. Give them the agenda job, and the job of cancelling.
• Catalysts energize meetings but can derail them; a visible agenda helps.
• Cartographers prefer fewer, well-prepared meetings — send pre-reads.

For more ways to cut meetings, read our guide to async communication.