When & How to Run Meetings
Stop Wasting Time: How to Run Meetings That Actually Work
If there’s one thing employees love to hate, it’s meetings. Too many, too long, and too often without a clear purpose. The truth is, meetings can either be the heartbeat of a healthy culture—or the silent killer of productivity.
The difference? Structure.
When meetings are designed with intention, they bring clarity, alignment, and momentum. When they’re not, they drain time, energy, and trust.
Here’s how to build a cadence of meetings that actually move your business forward.
The Three Meetings Every Business Needs
1. Weekly – Tactical Clarity
Purpose: Focus on what matters this week.
Share priorities, roadblocks, and quick decisions.
Keep updates short—save storytelling for another time.
End with clear action items and owners.
Questions to Ask:
What are the top 3 things we need to accomplish this week?
Where are we blocked?
What decisions do we need to make today to move forward?
Outcome:
Everyone leaves knowing what’s most important now.
2. Monthly – Team Alignment Check
Purpose: Step back from the weeds and check alignment.
Review progress against company priorities.
Address miscommunication and reset expectations.
Reconnect people’s work to company values.
Questions to Ask:
Are we still aligned on our top 3 goals?
How does each team member’s work connect to those priorities?
Where have we seen friction or confusion this month?
Outcome:
The team feels clear, connected, and committed.
3. Quarterly – Culture & Leadership Review
Purpose: Look at the bigger picture: culture and leadership.
Review Pulse Check Survey results. (*template in previously blog post)
Recognize values in action.
Identify emerging leaders and gaps in trust or clarity.
Questions to Ask:
What did our survey tell us about culture and leadership?
Where are we strongest? Where are the gaps?
Who’s stepping into leadership naturally?
Outcome:
Culture and leadership stay measured, not assumed.
What About Other Meetings?
Not every conversation deserves a meeting. Here’s a quick filter:
1:1s (weekly/bi-weekly): For coaching, clarity, and feedback—not status updates.
Manager-to-Manager Syncs (monthly): For alignment across functions, not just sharing updates.
Cross-Functional Meetings (as needed): Only if multiple departments must make a decision together.
And most importantly: The CEO should only be in the room when decisions have company-wide impact. Vision, strategy, values, or structural shifts—yes. Weekly task updates—no.
Universal Rules for Every Meeting
Start with purpose: Why are we here?
Tie back to values: Did we practice them this week?
No passengers: everyone participates.
End with action: who is doing what, by when.
Less is more: if it doesn’t serve clarity, alignment, or culture—it shouldn’t be a meeting.
Final Thought
Meetings don’t have to be a drain. Done right, they’re one of the most powerful tools you have to align your team, reinforce your culture, and move faster.
But without structure? They’re just another calendar invite everyone dreads.
If you’re tired of wasting hours in meetings that go nowhere, start with this cadence. Weekly for clarity. Monthly for alignment. Quarterly for culture. Then cut everything else that doesn’t serve the mission.
Need help cleaning up your meetings? That’s where I come in. Let’s talk.
