Setting Up Effective Team Meetings in Consulting

“Let’s have a meeting to talk about meetings,” said no one ever. But maybe we should. A Microsoft global survey found the #1 workplace distraction is inefficient meetings. The #2? Too many of them. Sound familiar? Last week, I led a meeting effectiveness workshop for a team of 15 at the request of their practice leader—who happens to be my husband. His team’s meeting struggles? Rambling discussions, uneven engagement, unclear outcomes, and lack of follow-through. He thought a meeting AI tool might fix it. Nope. AI can help document meetings, but it can’t make people prepare better, participate more, or drive decisions. The fix? It’s not “Have an agenda”. It’s setting the right meeting norms. My husband was hesitant to put me in the late morning slot–worried the team would tune out before lunch. I told him, “Put me in, coach. I’ll show you engagement.” And I did. For 90 minutes, we tackled meeting norms head-on through interactive discussions and small group exercises. Here are 5 norms they worked through to transform their meetings: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. An agenda is a list of topics. A purpose answers: What critical decision needs to be made? What problem are we solving? Why does this require a discussion? If you can’t summarize the purpose in one sentence with an action verb, you don’t need a meeting. 2️⃣ 𝗕𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺. Some discussions only need two people; others require a small group or the full team. Match the participants and group size to the topic and purpose.  3️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲. Before the meeting, define the problem or goal. Identify potential solutions. Recommend one. Outline your criteria for selecting the solution(s). Back it up with data or other relevant information. Preparation = productivity. 4️⃣ 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. A good facilitator keeps conversations on track, reins in tangents, and ensures all voices –not just the loudest–are heard. Facilitation matters more than the agenda. 5️⃣ 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. Summarize decisions. Assign action items. Set deadlines. Follow-up to ensure accountability and progress. A meeting without follow-through is just wasted time. The outcome of the workshop? 100% engagement. (One person even admitted she normally tunes out in these things but stayed engaged the entire time!) More importantly, the team aligned on meeting norms and left with actionable steps to improve. Want better meetings? Set better norms. Focus on facilitation. What’s one meeting tip that’s worked well for your team?

What’s a great team meeting? Team meetings are a significant investment of time, and making them truly valuable is essential. After years of leading small and large teams, I’ve found that every team should have a few objectives. My framework is called TOP 😎 1. Transparency: Every leader should try to provide full context on cross-functional projects esp those that impact them. 2. Order: Team members should leave the meeting with a clear understanding of what they should be working short and long term. 3. Progress: Meetings should be a catalyst for forward momentum. Each should result in clear next steps that move the team towards its goals. My own team meetings often involve 10+ hours of collective time, so I focus on maximizing efficiency and impact. We start by sourcing discussion topics from the entire team—ensuring everyone feels heard and involved in shaping the agenda. I structure the meetings into three core parts: - Newsflash: This is where I provide organizational context—highlighting wins, team recognitions, key updates, big deals won or lost, and any major changes in leadership or product direction. - Core discussion: The team discusses pre-submitted topics with a clear focus. The goal is to unblock each other. Each topic has context, the owner knows what to do next, and they can ask for help if needed. - Action items: Every discussion ends with actionable next steps, assigning an owner, a specific action, and a due date. If there’s no action required, we close the topic. I avoid adding unnecessary elements like guest speakers or deep dives—they’re valuable as one-offs but not as regular agenda items. And I make sure to avoid lengthy debates. If something requires deeper analysis, we take it offline and revisit later. Finally, I make every attempt to start and end without the allocated 45 minutes. If you are stuck or feel you don’t have enough things to talk about, ask your team. #Leadership

Why some meetings can cost you more than just time. Here’s how to change that. A few months ago, I sat through a three-hour meeting that cost our company $15,000 in collective team time. And we accomplished absolutely nothing. Picture this: 9 senior consultants, with salaries ranging from $200-$350/hour. We were in a meeting with: → No clear agenda → No clear objectives → Endless circular discussions → Zero action items That day I realized why some meetings are viewed negatively. They’re disorganized and a waste of time. But my approach to meetings is different. Here's how I run meetings with my 7-step method: 1/ Have a Clear Purpose → Every meeting needs a reason. If there’s no goal, don’t have the meeting. 2/ Keep the Guest List Small → Invite only people who really need to be there. 3/ Create a Simple Agenda → Write down what you want to achieve. Make it clear and actionable. 4/ Respect Everyone’s Time → Schedule a time that works for everyone. Send the agenda in advance. 5/ Run the Meeting Smoothly → Start with introductions and clarify why everyone is there. → Go over the agenda. → Set clear expectations. → Listen, discuss, and take notes. → Assign action items with due dates. 6/ Wrap It Up on Time → Start wrapping up 10 minutes before the end. → Summarize key points and assign action items. → Finish on time. 7/ Follow Up → Send a summary email the same day. → Include what was discussed, action items, due dates, and open questions. → Follow up on progress. By following these steps, our meetings became: • Productive • Focused • Respectful of everyone’s time PS: Have you ever been in a meeting that felt like a waste of time? How did you fix it? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 👋Hi, I’m Tapan Borah I coach and mentor Project Managers to build a successful career in project management. If you’re unsure where to start. DM me or book a free consultation → Link is in the bio.

Meetings aren’t for updates - they’re where your culture is being built… or broken. In distributed, remote, & hybrid teams, meetings are key moments where team members experience culture together. That makes every meeting a high-stakes opportunity. Yet most teams stay in default mode - using meetings for project updates instead of connection, ideation, debate, and culture-building. Fixing meeting overload isn’t just about having fewer Zooms. It’s about rewiring your communication norms: ✔️ Do we know when to communicate synchronously vs. asynchronously? ✔️ Are we using async tools that give transparency without constant live check-ins? ✔️ Have we aligned on our team values and expected behaviors? 💡 3 ways to reduce meetings and make the remaining ones count: 1️⃣ Co-create a Team Working Agreement. Before you can reinforce values, your team needs to define them. We’ve spent hundreds of hours helping teams do this - and have seen measurable gains in team effectiveness. Key components: ✔️ Shared team goals ✔️ Defining team member roles ✔️ Agreed-upon behaviors ✔️ Communication norms (sync vs. async) 2️⃣ Begin meetings with a connection moment. Relationships fuel trust and collaboration. Kick things off with a check-in like: “What gave you energy this week?” Or tailor it to the topic. In a recent meeting on decision-making norms, we asked: “Speed or certainty - which do you value more when making decisions, and why?” 3️⃣ Make team values part of the agenda. Create a ritual to recognize teammates for living into the team behaviors. Ask the question: “Where did we see our values or team agreements show up this week?” And check in on where could the team have done better. Culture doesn’t happen by accident - especially when your teams are spread across time zones, WFH setups, and multiple office sites. Your meetings can become a powerful tool to build culture with intention. Excerpt from the Work 20XX podcast with Jeff Frick

Meetings can be draining for introverts, not because they lack ideas, but because traditional formats often favor the loudest voices in the room. Over the years, I’ve experimented with different meeting structures to create space where quiet contributors thrive, deep thinking is valued, and everyone feels heard. Here are five structures that work wonders for introverted team members: 📝 1. Silent Brainstorming Sessions Why it works: Instead of putting people on the spot, this structure allows team members to jot down their ideas first —on virtual whiteboards, shared docs, or sticky notes—before discussing them. This reduces pressure and encourages more thoughtful input. 🔄 2. Round-Robin Check-Ins Why it works: Instead of open-ended “Anyone have thoughts?” (which introverts often hesitate to jump into), each person gets a turn to share. This ensures that everyone’s perspective is heard , without the need to compete for airtime. ⏳ 3. Asynchronous Collaboration Before the Meeting Why it works: Sending agendas, discussion topics, or documents in advance gives introverts time to process, reflect, and contribute meaningfully. This leads to deeper insights rather than reactive responses. 🤝 4. Small Group Breakouts Before Large Discussions Why it works: Introverts often feel more comfortable speaking in smaller groups. Giving them time to discuss ideas in pairs or small groups first helps them gain confidence before transitioning into the larger conversation. 🌿 5. “Think Breaks” Built into Meetings Why it works: Instead of rapid-fire decision-making, inserting pauses for reflection (even just 2–3 minutes of quiet thinking) allows introverts to collect their thoughts before speaking , leading to stronger, more considered contributions. When meetings honor different communication styles, everyone wins. What meeting structures have helped you or your team thrive? Let’s exchange ideas! 👇🏽 #IntrovertedLeaders #QuietLeadershis #EffectiveMeetings #TeamSuccess #InclusiveLeadership

Most managers suck at running team meetings. (but it doesn’t have to be that way) Bad meetings drain everyone’s energy. And sap productivity. I’ve tried every approach over 15+ years. But, the clear winner is an EOS-style meeting. EOS = Entrepreneurial Operating System (terrible name, but a great system) Here’s how to supercharge your team meetings. 👇 1) 𝗦𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗲 (5 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀): ↳ Everyone shares one personal and professional win. ↳ This builds connections and highlights progress. 2) 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 (5 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀): ↳ Out-of-office reminders & company  ↳ prospect-related information. 3) 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 (5 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀): ↳ Review every team member's scorecard ↳ Identify off-track metrics ↳ Add any roadblocks to an Issues List. 4) 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 (90-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀) 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 (5 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀): ↳Label each as Rock "on-track" or "off-track" ↳Add issues to the Issues List if needed. 5) 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗼-𝗗𝗼𝘀 (5 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀): ↳ Go through the team's To-Do list. ↳ Ensure tasks are completed ↳ Discuss any barriers to completion. 6) 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 (30 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀): ↳ Dedicate most of the meeting the Issues List. ↳ Solve complex problems together ↳ Create new To-Dos to address them. 7) 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (1-5 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀): ↳ Team members rate the meeting from 1-10. ↳ Any score under 8 requires feedback. That’s it my friends. Give it a try. You and your team will thank me later. What’s your favorite team meeting format? -- 👋 I’m Michael a CRO w/ $1B+ in exits. 📥 save it for later 💬 comment with your thoughts ♻️ repost if this was helpful.

If your team meetings are unproductive & going in circles, it’s probably because your approach is off… There are a couple of ways you might be missing the mark in meetings: → Asking too many *vague* questions wastes time. → Making it a 1-way conversation is a relationship KILLER. → Information overload leads to an overwhelmed/bombarded team. If you want to rid your meetings of these flaws & transform their effectiveness… The key lies in using the D.A.R.E. framework! This method ensures your meetings are clear, engaging, and productive—taking your business communication to the NEXT level. Here’s a breakdown to put it in perspective: *D* - Drilling During meetings, focus on detailed inquiries that drive deeper understanding without sounding accusatory or intrusive. ↳ Instead of asking, ‘How is the project going?’ try, ‘Can you give me a status update on the current milestones we've outlined for this project?’ *A* - Adjoining Create discussions where everyone is comfortable sharing—preventing tunnel vision & encouraging new perspectives. ↳ Say something like, ‘let's go around the table and hear everyone's take on this idea. What do you think, Alex?’ *R* - Rising Summarize what’s been discussed + connect it to the bigger picture—Helps identify underlying issues & possible opportunities. ↳ Ask like this: ‘Given what we've discussed, how does this align with our long-term strategy? Are we missing any key elements?’ *E* - Exploratory Promote open-ended questions to explore all angles of a problem. You’ll craft well-rounded solutions that aren’t impulsive. ↳ For example: ‘What are the possible challenges we might face with this approach? Are there alternative solutions we haven't considered?’ By incorporating Drilling, Adjoining, Rising, and Exploratory techniques… Your message goes from mundane—to highly effective. DARE to try to approach? Revolutionize your meeting technique today!

After chatting with 100+ execs over the past 6 months, everyone told me the same thing: they want to stop wasting valuable time in useless meetings. The best resource I’ve found on effective meetings is Matt Mochary (exec coach trusted by co’s like OpenAI and Coinbase). Here’s what he recommends: 1. Assign a meeting owner - Someone who manages logistics and agenda - Ensures structured, efficient use of time 2. Define the desired outcome - Set a clear, measurable goal - Share it in writing with all participants 3. Leverage async preparation - Share updates + documentation in advance - Require pre-writes for discussion topics 4. Enforce async work - Demonstrate prep work as a group first - Gradually transition to independent async work 5. Timebox the synchronous agenda - Nurture personal connections (5 mins) - Elaborate on issues (5-20 mins per topic) - Provide real-time feedback (5-10 mins) 6. Drive towards action - Break down solutions into specific tasks - Assign owners and tangible due dates 7. Track every action - Use a PM tool or spreadsheet - Foster accountability and alignment 8. Collect written feedback - Request input after every meeting - Use feedback to continually improve Important note: implementing these changes takes time. Be patient and adjust if you need to – and ensure that your team is 100% on the same page. The result? More productive meetings and more efficient teams. Check out Seam's full playbook on effective meetings below ⚡  https://lnkd.in/gR2bXwRJ

🚿 We always have our eye on the flow unit in our work. The flow unit in our meetings is information and resources that crews need to be successful in their work package. The meetings, the visuals, and the tools, should all enable flow. So, here is my recommendation on your projects: 1. Start by outlining what information your field crews need to do their work well. 2. Identify what human interactions need to take place to get it there with the team. 3. Map these all into meetings that flow from left to right in a standard meeting cadence. 4. Identify what information would need to be discussed in each meeting and create agendas for each meeting. 5. Identify and design what tools you would use and develop that will get the right information and resources to your crews. 6. Create your interaction spaces so that information flows well. 7. Finalize your trailer and make sure that all visual environments are self-sustaining. The picture below is simply to show that we take this approach with all our clients and for all our projects. If you ever need help with this, please reach out. We can help. --Its not about setting up a meeting-- --Its not about putting up visuals on a wall-- --It is not about having lean tools-- The question is whether all meetings, tools, visuals enable the flow of information and resources to Trades by making it easy for humans to do what they should be doing-seeing, knowing, and acting as a group. Love, Jason

Planning an offsite or team meeting? Leverage these seven principles to create a meaningful experience. 1️⃣ Use the Time for Things You Can Only Do In Person. Send updates and summaries are prereads and spend the time differently than your standing meetings. Choose topics that allow people to work on the biggest challenge the team faces or where it is headed. 2️⃣ Leave More Space for Conversation Than You Think Leave space for reflection, discussion, and constructive challenge. The tendency is to push through disagreements and work toward agreement or consensus. That promotes group think and excludes different perspectives. 3️⃣ Lean Into Storytelling Don’t expect people to jump right into the hardest conversations. Use thoughtful icebreakers that include storytelling to learn more about about personal and professional experiences to gain empathy and form trust. 4️⃣ Plan many breaks Discussions over coffee or on walks, and over meals will help team members learn more about each other. These moments create the foundation for building empathy and trust with one another. 5️⃣ Focus on Meaning Introverts experience an energy drain when a conversation or activity isn’t meaningful. Many would rather forgo small talk because it feels meaningless and insincere. Focus agenda items to be meaningful and productive. 6️⃣ Paired Conversations Pair up people that have tension to work through for a conversation. Dedicate a good thirty minutes at the end of a day for people to pair off and reflect on what is going well and what they could do differently. 7️⃣ Closeout Hearing From Everyone The way the meeting ends impacts the way participants view the experience. To help everyone close out on a positive and satisfied note, leave time to hear from each person to firm up commitments and end in a meaningful way.