A Method to Your Meetings

“Let’s get together for a quick meeting.” 

If the hair on the back of your neck just stood up, or you’re looking for the closest exit, you are not alone. While they are meant to share information, encourage collaboration and build morale, few meetings prompt excitement. 

“People don’t want to be in meetings,” says Rob Scott, director of sales and marketing for Hines Pool & Spa in Austin, Texas. “People feel like they’re a waste of time or ‘I have other better things to do,’ or ‘Why do I have to be here?’ ” 

To combat the feelings of dread or discomfort that typically accompany these events, it’s time to dissect your template and inject some productivity into these sessions. 

Where meetings go off the rails

Among the top reasons for low engagement or buy-in at meetings are:

• Lack of structure, preparation or focus: Scott cites getting off topic or small groups “cross-talking” over each other as counterproductive disruptions that occur when there is no focus to a meeting. 

• Trying to cover too much ground: If you try to tackle everything in one meeting instead of defining what should be addressed now and what can wait, you’re likely to fail, says Sam Stroud, co-owner of Spartan Pool and Patio in Norman, Oklahoma. 

• Lack of participation: Stroud says meetings often fail when one person does all the talking while everyone else passively listens, takes notes and waits for it to end — with little being resolved. “You should be participating in any meeting you’re a part of,” he says. “Not everybody is invited to every meeting, but if you’re there, then you’re supposed to be. We care what you think.” 

The right meeting for the right purpose

According to Patrick Lencioni, a business and leadership expert and author, there are four types of business meetings: 

While each of these serves a purpose, they generally should follow the same structure, beginning with goals.

“It’s beneficial to say at the beginning of any meeting what the purpose of the meeting is and is not to set the guidelines and define what we need to discuss,” Scott says. 

As such, sharing an agenda before the meeting that both managers and employees can add to is important, says Roula Amire, senior content creator at Great Place to Work, a company that provides tools to create a positive workplace culture.

A daily check-in can help team members stay aligned and surface small issues before they grow. Stroud recommends a loose outline for these short meetings: share wins and challenges from the previous day and clarify commitments for the day ahead. He adds that five- to 10-minute sessions are best to refine focus and recommends a closing remark, such as a quote, a joke or something inspirational, to end the meeting on a good note.

Accountability is another element Stroud emphasizes. He keeps a notepad to track who owns each task or issue raised during the meeting. “It’s kind of shocking that nothing stays on that list more than two days,” he says. “If they have to say, ‘No, I didn’t,’ in front of all their peers one time, it’s embarrassing.” This public accountability encourages team members to follow through on their commitments quickly, helping keep projects moving and responsibilities clear.

Meanwhile, broader terms like old business, new business and action items work well for weekly tactical sessions, Scott says. These meetings focus on near-term goals and operational updates.

Stroud says their weekly meetings focus on problem-solving and have a small agenda.

“We touch on some key financial metrics every week, and each department says if they’re on track or behind according to our forecast,” he explains. “And then we do a quick summary of our company financials.”

Beyond that, their agenda is built in real time with input from attendees. Anyone can suggest discussion points, which are written on a whiteboard and prioritized on the spot. This approach keeps the meetings relevant and dynamic and allows the team to tackle the most pressing issues as they arise.

Monthly strategic sessions should dive into big-picture thinking and longer-term planning, while quarterly reviews provide time to reflect on progress, reset priorities and assess company or team performance. 

Hines Pool & Spa recently began using a formal agenda for its monthly management meeting. Since transitioning to an employee stock ownership plan structure, Scott says it’s even more important for employees to understand how their work affects the bottom line. “That money that you’re saving the company is making the stock worth more, which then makes your account balance go up,” he says. “So yeah, take a little more pride in your work.”

That mentality is shifting how meetings are run, too — with a greater emphasis on purpose, clarity and results. “Now [as an owner] you think, ‘Hey, I could do this more efficiently,’ ” Scott says.

Any of these meeting types can be adapted for hybrid or remote teams. Sharing agendas ahead of time, assigning facilitators or timekeepers and encouraging camera-on participation can keep engagement high — even from a distance.

Regardless of the meeting type, what happens afterward matters just as much as what’s discussed in the room.

“Make sure everyone knows whether they’re leaving the meeting with any action items,” Scott stresses. 

Tools that keep meetings on track

Scott explains that his team of 75 was having a difficult time making meetings more productive, so they started using artificial intelligence to keep notes and stay organized.

“In the pool industry, most people have never been in a corporate environment, so coming to a meeting prepared, taking notes and leaving with action items isn’t something people are comfortable with, or they’ve never had to do,” Scott says. “It’s no fault of their own. It’s just part of the culture.”

For this reason, Scott is exploring AI tools, such as Fireflies.ai, to keep a log of the meetings, what is discussed and what needs to be done in each department. Tools like this help ensure nothing gets lost and that action items are documented and assigned.

Other helpful tools include:

For smaller teams or tech-averse environments, low-tech options can still be effective — such as printed agendas, whiteboards or assigning someone to write takeaways on a notepad. The key is consistency.

Don’t skip the shoutouts

Amire says workplace productivity is often driven by cooperation, purposeful work and recognition. Tools can help, but culture and connection matter most.

Recognition can transform meetings from a routine chore into a powerful morale booster. Taking time during meetings to celebrate wins and give shoutouts creates a positive culture where employees feel valued and motivated. 

“Create space for recognition and celebrate what has gone well — giving people a space to recognize each other in team meetings goes a long way in creating healthy, supportive cultures,” Amire says. Integrating regular recognition into meetings helps build trust, boost engagement and encourages team members to bring their best selves to work every day.