How to run fewer, better meetings
Keep meetings that need shared judgement and remove those that only repeat a stable update. Quality depends on purpose and follow through.
The performance question
A meeting should have a decision, a necessary discussion or a clear coordination outcome. Cancelling a forum without arranging another way to share essential information can create fragmented work. Examine its function before removing it.
What the evidence supports
HSE recommends analysing tasks, information inputs and the way people are used. NICE emphasises good communication and engagement. These support deliberate meeting design, but do not prove that a specific agenda format improves productivity by a set amount.[1][2]
A practical approach
For each recurring meeting, state the required outcome and who has authority to achieve it. Circulate stable updates in advance where accessible. Use live time for unresolved questions and trade offs, end with owners and dates, and cancel the meeting when no live outcome is needed.
How to review progress
Review whether actions complete, decisions remain understood and people receive necessary context. Compare preparation and follow through demand, not only duration. Keep a live route for sensitive or complex discussions that written updates cannot handle appropriately.
Sources and references
- Human factors: Workload Opens in a new tab
Health and Safety Executive
Processing limits, task analysis, workload drift and staffing
- Mental wellbeing at work Opens in a new tab
NICE
NG212 sections 1.1 to 1.6: strategy, environment, managers and individual support