How to Run Effective Meetings That Drive Results
Why Meetings Often Fail
Meetings are an essential part of teamwork, yet they often fail to serve their intended purpose. They are meant to facilitate decisions, align teams, and drive progress. However, too often, they become unstructured, unproductive, and endless. Many meetings lack clear direction, and some attendees leave without knowing what was accomplished or what steps to take next.
The root cause? A lack of preparation, engagement, and follow-through.
The Right Way to Schedule and Run Meetings
Many people assume that scheduling a meeting is as simple as sending a calendar invite. But a meeting is much more than just a time slot on a calendar—it’s a commitment of people’s time and effort. That’s why a well-structured approach is essential to ensure meetings are efficient and valuable.
Here are the key steps I follow to make meetings more productive:
1. Preparation Is Non-Negotiable
A meeting without preparation is a recipe for confusion and inefficiency. Before scheduling, ask yourself:
Is this meeting necessary? Can the issue be resolved via email or a shared document instead?
Who truly needs to be there? Avoid inviting people who won’t contribute or benefit from the discussion.
What is the goal? Define the expected outcome so participants understand the purpose.
Once you’ve confirmed the necessity of the meeting, proper preparation involves:
Creating a clear agenda – Outline the key topics to discuss and share it in advance.
Providing relevant context – Ensure attendees have the necessary background information to participate effectively.
Without these, attendees might show up unprepared, leading to delays and inefficient discussions.
2. Ensure Attendance and Engagement
A meeting is only effective if the right people are present and engaged. Here are a few tactics to ensure that happens:
Confirm attendance in advance – One or two days before the meeting, check that attendees have confirmed their availability. If a key stakeholder is missing, reassess whether the meeting should proceed or be rescheduled.
Encourage pre-meeting input – Ask participants to review materials beforehand so the meeting can focus on decision-making rather than information-sharing.
Drive engagement during the meeting – If you’re running a product demo, for example, prompt attendees to participate in real-time feedback using a Slido survey or a live poll.
3. End with Clear Action Items
Even a well-run meeting is ineffective if it doesn’t lead to action. I recently came across a fantastic tip from Alisa Cohn on Lenny’s Podcast that I now implement in every meeting: asking three critical questions at the end of the session.
What did we decide? – Go around the room to confirm alignment on key takeaways.
Who needs to do what by when? – Clearly define action items, assign owners, and set deadlines.
Who else needs to know? – Establish a communication plan to ensure relevant stakeholders are informed.
These simple yet powerful questions ensure that decisions are documented, responsibilities are clear, and follow-ups happen seamlessly.
Why This Matters
Miscommunication is one of the biggest sources of inefficiency within companies, and meetings are where most of it happens. Poorly run meetings lead to misunderstandings, misaligned teams, and wasted time. By implementing structured preparation, engagement tactics, and clear action steps, you can transform your meetings into powerful tools for collaboration and progress.
The next time you schedule a meeting, remember: it’s not just about gathering people in a room—it’s about ensuring that time spent leads to real, actionable results.