I can’t say that I’ve ever had a conversation with another working adult where we swapped stories about our love for meetings. I'll take a guess and say that's the same for most of you reading this.

’ll give meetings some credit. They can be great for connecting with coworkers, especially in remote environments. When done right, meetings help people collaborate and feel more invested in decisions and plans.

But let’s be real, how often is that actually happening?

If you answered “all the time!” it sounds like you went through Essential Facilitation™. Congrats! This article might not be for you, but feel free to share it with others. 😊

If you didn’t say “all the time,” let’s get into it.

Here are three signs your meeting culture might need some attention. I came up with this list after talking with clients, workshop participants, IA workshop leaders, and even friends (And no, I’m not the buzzkill at a party who brings up meeting culture).

1. Too Many Meetings

The average employee spends about 11.3 hours a week in meetings. For upper management, that can jump to 15–20+ hours.

While that stat might not be too surprising, if you then add in random phone calls, stops in the hallway or at your desk, responding to DMs, the time starts to add up. There's not too much time left to do your actual job!

via GIPHY

So, let's think back to your last week of meetings.

How many of them were actually effective?

How many did you leave feeling like something meaningful got accomplished?

And how many just created… more meetings?

More meetings don’t equal more productivity. Often, it’s a sign that the meetings you’re having aren’t working. Maybe the right people weren’t in the room. Maybe the discussion went off-track. Maybe it just wasn’t planned well and needed a follow-up.

If this sounds familiar, your meeting culture likely isn’t where you want it to be.

2. “Meetings” After the Meeting

Have you ever walked out of a meeting and immediately called a colleague to debrief? Maybe to complain, check if they were just as confused as you, or even rehash the whole thing to get actual work done?

That’s another red flag, as IA's Rachael Grail discusses below.

You should be collaborating as a group during the meeting and not breaking off into side conversations afterward just to make sense of things.

This usually happens when people don’t feel safe speaking up in the meeting itself. They may have concerns or ideas but hold back out of fear of judgment or repercussions.

If your meetings aren’t safe spaces, that’s a deeper issue that affects your entire culture.

3. Meeting to Meet

Take a look at your calendar. How many recurring meetings are on there? Probably a few.

These tend to be your usual one-on-ones, stand-ups, all-company meetings, etc. While these are extremely important, they can also be a trap. You can get so stuck in your routine that these turn into meetings just to meet and not to get something accomplished.

Before these recurring meetings, determine if  you have a reason to meet each time. Just because it’s on the calendar doesn’t mean it should stay there.

Even connection-based meetings need clarity and purpose. Take your weekly one-on-ones, for example. Before each one, check in with yourself: Are there things you need to discuss? If not, it’s okay to skip it now and then. Or shift to biweekly or monthly.

You can also switch up the format. If you’re remote and always use Zoom, maybe you just need a brief phone call. If you're in the office, it could be a quick coffee run to the kitchen or coffee shop next to the office. Knock out what’s needed and give everyone some time back. Time back in the day is the gift that keeps on giving! 😀

These are just three signs but there are many more. If you’re curious about where your meeting culture stands, a simple anonymous survey can be revealing. Many of our clients have used this approach and uncovered gaps leadership didn’t even realize existed. 

And if you’re serious about improving meetings, take a look at Essential Facilitation™. It’s been called a must-have by hundreds of thousands of professionals who wanted their meetings to actually work. The skills you learn are practical and immediately useful. The impact extends far beyond just better meetings.

Lastly, I'll leave you with IA's Chris Williams as he discusses the big impact improved meetings can make on an organization as whole.