The First Five Minutes That Determine Every Meeting’s Fate

Imagined by Rebecca at Canva.com

No one walks into a meeting hoping it’ll be bad. Yet five minutes in, most of us already know when it will be.

There’s a moment—quiet but decisive—when the energy in the room shifts. The first five minutes determine whether people lean forward or retreat into their laptops. And once that emotional tone is set, it’s nearly impossible to reverse.

I’ve facilitated hundreds of sessions across different roles in my career —from power plants to corporate meetings —and I’ve learned that great meetings don’t just happen. They’re engineered.

Those opening minutes are your blueprint for what will happen in the room.

1. Open the Room, Not the Agenda

People arrive carrying unfinished thoughts, emails, stress. A quick grounding ritual—music, a question, a stretch—signals: this space is different. I often ask, “What’s one thing you hope this hour accomplishes?” It brings presence into the room before we touch the agenda.

2. State the Purpose Like a Promise

Too many meetings begin with logistics: slides, timelines, updates. Skip that. Declare the why. “We’re here to decide on X so the team can move forward on Y.” Purpose creates focus; focus creates…