Ten Candid Opinions About Meetings

I have some strong opinions about meetings.

Maybe that comes from having attended thousands of them through the years. Some meetings have moved organizations forward, developed leaders, solved problems, and generated incredible ideas. Others have made me wonder how many years of our collective lives we could get back.

Meetings are necessary in every healthy church or organization. Yet simply putting people in a room – or on a Zoom call – doesn’t mean something productive is going to happen.

Good meetings require intentionality.

So, if you lead meetings, here are 10 strong opinions I have developed through the years.

1. If all the decisions are already determined, don’t call a meeting. Send me an email.

And make it a well-written one.

People quickly figure out when their input isn’t really wanted. Calling people together to create the appearance of collaboration when the decision has already been made only frustrates the team.

Sometimes leaders need to make the decision. That’s leadership. Just communicate it clearly and let everyone get back to work.

2. When the meeting is scheduled when people are naturally hungry, feed us.

And pay for it.

Food isn’t necessary for every meeting, of course. But if you’re scheduling through lunch or dinner – in a required attendance – recognize that people have normal human needs.

Hungry people aren’t usually your most creative people.

Plus, sharing a meal can occasionally accomplish as much for team chemistry as the meeting itself.

3. Where there is no agenda, what exactly are we doing here?

If we are simply meeting because the meeting has always been on the calendar, maybe the calendar needs to change.

Every meeting should have a reason for existing. Participants should know why they are there and what we’re hoping to accomplish.

Otherwise, cancel it. You’ll become more popular immediately.

4. If every new idea is going to be shot down, would skeet shooting be a better use of our time?

Nothing kills creativity faster than knowing every suggestion will immediately be met with all the reasons it won’t work.

Certainly, not every idea is a good one. Wisdom requires evaluating ideas carefully.

However, brainstorming and evaluating shouldn’t always happen simultaneously.

Give ideas a little oxygen before you start shooting at them.

5. When the meeting flows the exact same way every time, won’t someone eventually get bored?

Creative people especially need some variety.

Routine can be helpful because people know what to expect. Predictability, however, can eventually cause people to mentally check out.

Change the room occasionally. Ask someone different to lead a portion of the meeting.

Start with a problem instead of announcements.

Small adjustments can awaken new energy.

6. If we’re only going to talk about something but never do anything about it, shouldn’t we call this a social event?

Conversation matters, but meetings should usually move toward action.

At some point, somebody needs to do something.

Assign responsibility. Establish a next step.

Set a deadline when appropriate.

Progress is one of the best ways to make people believe the next meeting is worth attending.

7. When one person dominates all the conversation, let’s skip the meeting and schedule a speech.

The loudest person in the room isn’t necessarily the person with the best idea.

Strong leaders learn how to draw other voices into the conversation. Some of your wisest team members may need an invitation before they speak.

Ask them what they think.

Then give them enough silence to answer.

8. If everyone is invited, nothing may get accomplished today. Let’s have a party instead.

More people don’t automatically produce better decisions.

Invite the people who need to contribute, learn, decide, or implement. Release everyone else to do what you’ve empowered them to do.

Large gatherings can be wonderful for celebration and communication.

Smaller groups are often better for solving problems.

9. When it is past time for most people to go home, let’s postpone the rest.

You’ve probably lost our full attention anyway.

Fatigue rarely produces our wisest thinking. A leader may still be energized about the subject while everyone else has mentally left the building.

Watch the room.

Respect people’s time enough to know when you’re finished.

10. If no one is taking notes, will we even remember any of this tomorrow?

Someone should capture the important decisions, action steps, assignments, and deadlines.

Otherwise, the next meeting may become a repeat of the last one.

Documentation doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple summary of what we decided, who owns what, and what happens next can save hours of confusion.

Then send it quickly while everyone still remembers what happened.

Better Meetings Are a Leadership Issue

I’m not opposed to meetings.

In fact, I think meetings are vital to healthy churches and organizations. Some of the best decisions I’ve been part of have come from the right people sitting around a table, asking good questions, challenging assumptions, listening to one another, and determining what to do next.

Poor meetings drain energy. Great meetings create momentum.

Before you schedule the next one, ask a few questions –