We live in a world of meetings. Whether you’re a leader of a team, an entrepreneur who is presenting to a potential investor, or a project lead kicking off a new project, or really – anyone who has lived on earth for a length of time – chances are that you have spent some time in meetings. Long meetings. Short meetings. Meetings that could have been an email. Meetings that felt productive. Meetings where everyone (or almost everyone) was off camera and on listen-only mode. Confusing meetings. Not-sure-what-we-just-decided meetings.
Poorly designed meetings can elicit all sorts of emotions – be it frustration, annoyance, overwhelm, or even fatigue.
What if, however, they were designed as spaces that invite more meaningful collaboration and dialogue? What if you could design online meetings that you don’t dread or just listen-in so you get points for attendance? (A topic for another time – what if you could design organizations that don’t over-rely on meetings as a measure of productivity and the primary means of (not) getting work done?)
While there are volumes already written about this topic, below you will find starting points for designing better meetings. The points are far from exhaustive and are intended to jumpstart thinking for those who preside over or facilitate meetings. Regardless of the type of meeting you run – whether it is strategy, coordination, or brainstorming – focusing on outcomes, experience, and structure can have an outsized impact on the quality of your conversations.
What are the outcomes you’re after in the meeting?
Thinking about outcomes means asking yourself: What will be different or better as a result of this meeting? For whom? Consider how this meeting would move work forward for you, the team, and/or those in attendance. If you find yourself unsure of the benefit for attendees, consider asking them in advance what would make the meeting valuable to them.
Many teams tend to set outcomes for their meetings that are too broad or all-encompassing to be effective. For example, we need a meeting to ‘discuss XYZ situation.’ What does it mean to ‘discuss’ something? A meeting where you want to reflect on what occurred and lessons learned is different from a meeting where you’d like to make a decision on the topic or from a meeting where you’re going to download information.
Taking the time to pause and reflect on the outcomes of the meeting may even help you figure out that you do not need to hold a meeting just yet.
What experience will you co-create with participants in the meeting?
Experience means tuning in to the set of interactions you want to co-create with participants. How do you intend for them to interact with one another? How do you intend to interact with them? How do you want them to feel during these interactions?
Experience also means paying attention to power dynamics in the room. How might a person’s formal or informal authority affect how they show up and how others perceive their contribution? What can you try to disrupt the pattern of hearing from the same voices?
For example: For moments of quick reflection, invite each attendee to jot down on a piece of paper or Word document their ideas on a particular topic. Then, break out into small groups for attendees to share their ideas and/or questions in a more intimate setting. Use the chat to gather responses to your questions or to check-in with the group.
Ultimately, an intentionally designed meeting will include moments where people can participate meaningfully in a variety of ways.
What structure will support your desired outcomes and experience?
Getting clear on the outcomes and experiences you’re really after in a meeting can then inform the structure of the meeting. In other words, how are you going to achieve those outcomes and bring those experiences to life?
In addition to figuring out how you will spend the time, structure includes the roles you need to carry out the meeting, and the tools to support your work.
Roles and Authority. Who actually needs to be in the meeting? What roles do you need to achieve your outcomes?
As you design your meeting, consider the roles that are absolutely essential to the meeting given the information they hold or the authority they wield to arrive at your outcomes. The goal is not to invite everyone because it would be “good for them to be there.” Truly ask yourself, are we blocked from our outcomes without this person in the room? If the answer is yes, then invite the person and if the answer is I don’t know or no, then resist the urge to invite the person. Instead, set agreements with the group in attendance on how you will share information from the meeting with those not in the room.
Lastly, decide in advance the number of roles needed for your conversation. Roles will likely include facilitator (person guiding the conversation, observing and responding to the group dynamic), the notetaker (person responsible for taking notes), and tech support (person who manages breakout rooms and all other technical aspects in a meeting). While one person can hold all these roles, it can be a lot for one person.
Tools and Resources. If you are clear on the experiences you wish to have in the meeting and the roles needed in a meeting, then take some time to think about tools. Challenge yourself to use a shared collaboration tool like a Google Doc or Mural to invite non-verbal participation and reflection during a meeting. You’d be surprised at the number of insights you can gather once you introduce a collaboration tool. You can also use an AI notetaker or invite everyone in the meeting to take notes in a shared document or tool. You may even decide to share the link to the presentation in the chat rather than share your screen. That way, you are presenting and can still see everyone in the virtual room – and those in attendance can listen to your explanation while also moving to the next slide at their own pace.
Regardless of the tool(s) you employ, make sure you let attendees know in advance about the tools you will be using and provide tutorials as needed. Tools can enhance a meeting and they can also derail it if you have not prepared your group beforehand.
Final Thoughts
Designing better meetings starts with the premise that the meeting is not about you. A meeting can arise from an idea or need you hold but an effective meeting ultimately requires thinking beyond yourself to now consider those in attendance. What perspectives might they bring to the meeting and what are some ways to glean those perspectives? What tools might increase participation? How do the interactions of those in the room further the outcomes of the meeting?
Meetings can be spaces for disruption and experimentation. Every meeting is an opportunity to transform how and what work gets done in an organization. Next time you add a meeting to someone’s calendar, take the time to reflect on the outcomes, experience, and structure. Not only will you have a better meeting but the attendees will thank you as well.