Have you ever found yourself sitting in a meeting, glancing at your watch and silently thinking, “Why am I even here?” You’re not alone. Meetings have become the dreaded part of everyone’s day.
“If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” – Blaise Pascal.
Let’s face it—we dread meetings for a reason. Too many drag on without a clear purpose, leaving people feeling bored or disconnected. We’re stuck in a cycle of meetings about meetings, and it’s exhausting.
Adam Grant hits the nail on the head, suggesting it’s time for a radical rethink. Shorter meetings, clearer purposes, and fewer (but carefully selected) attendees dramatically increase productivity and morale. Many organisations still think inviting everyone means better transparency. But instead, it wastes valuable time and weakens accountability. The conversation right now? Stripping meetings back to the essentials—shorter durations, sharper agendas, fewer people, and higher engagement.
Only use the right ingredients
Running a great meeting is like preparing a gourmet dish: it’s not about throwing in every ingredient you have, but carefully selecting just the right few to achieve a perfect balance. Each participant, like each ingredient, should have a clear purpose, enhancing the overall outcome rather than diluting it.
I work with dozens of organisations, and when reviewing team performance, we often go back to the basics, like ‘how to run effective meetings. A well-known tech company dramatically cut meeting time by enforcing a “two-pizza rule”: any meeting must be small enough to be fed with just two pizzas. Initially sceptical, the teams quickly realised they made sharper decisions and had clearer outcomes.
The proof is in the pudding
According to Harvard Business Review, 71% of senior managers view meetings as unproductive and inefficient. Research by Doodle found ineffective meetings cost organizations an estimated $399 billion annually in lost productivity.
“Meetings should have as few people as possible, but all the right people.” – Adam Grant
I use this model with my clients to rethink meetings:
The question now is, how to make this work in your team or organisation:
Embedding the Better Meetings Framework: Practical Strategies
Introduce with clarity and enthusiasm
- Roll out the framework in team meetings or via internal comms.
- Explain the “why” clearly: highlight current meeting pain points and how this simple framework can help fix them.
- Share success stories (like the “two-pizza rule” story) to motivate buy-in.
Easy access to resources
- Create a simple visual reminder of the framework—like a one-page PDF or infographic—and pin it in calendars, intranets, and meeting invitations.
- Encourage teams to print it out or keep it digitally handy as a quick reference.
Provide a short training or briefing
- Facilitate short, interactive sessions (20 mins max) explaining the model and demonstrating how to apply it practically.
- Use relatable scenarios: get participants to practice defining a clear purpose, designing a concise agenda, and so forth.
- Reinforce the “less is more” message—shorter, sharper meetings are always better.
Champion advocates
- Identify influential meeting facilitators who adopt the framework early.
- Ask these champions to share their experiences and successes—peer-to-peer endorsements significantly boost credibility and adoption.
Make it measurable
- Check periodically if teams are applying the framework by surveying meeting attendees:
- Was the purpose clear?
- Was the right number of people present?
- Did decisions get clearly assigned?
- Track metrics such as average meeting length and attendee satisfaction.
Encourage accountability through follow-ups
- Ensure that every meeting ends with clearly assigned actions.
- Managers or team leads should regularly follow up: “Were the tasks completed? Are meetings improving?”
- Embed check-ins as part of regular team meetings to reinforce the new habit.
Celebrate and recognize good meeting habits
- Recognize and share examples of teams effectively using the framework through internal newsletters or intranet spotlights.
- Celebrate noticeable changes, such as shorter meetings, improved team feedback, or quicker decision-making.
How Do You Know It’s Working?
You’ll see the framework working well when:
- Meeting attendance reduces naturally because people realize they’re not essential.
- Decisions happen faster and clearer, without needing follow-up meetings.
- Positive feedback increases, with team members actively acknowledging better productivity and less meeting fatigue.
- Action items are clearer and reliably completed, with less confusion over responsibilities.
Embedding a meeting framework effectively isn’t just about sharing a method—it’s about creating habits. And habits form when people repeatedly see value and ease in using the model.
Stop overthinking, start embedding. Would love to hear how you go and if you need any support from us, get in touch: jessica@intactteams.com