Revamp Your Team Meetings: A Fresh Approach for New Leaders to Boost Morale and Drive Results
Whether you’re inheriting a new team or looking to overhaul morale, these tips will show you how to transform your meetings into something your team actually looks forward to.
This posting expresses the views and opinions of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yext and its affiliates, employees, officers, directors or representatives.
We all know that meetings can either be a drag or a powerful tool to drive your team forward. The key difference? Good design.
“Effective meetings don’t happen by accident, they happen by design.”
I know what you’re thinking—what does design have to do with meeting strategy? When meetings are thoughtfully crafted, they not only serve their purpose but also boost team morale and productivity. As a Product Designer and team leader, here’s how I optimize the UX of meetings.
Types of Meetings: What They Solve For
First, let’s talk about the different types of meetings you can design and what each one aims to solve.
In Individual Performance meetings, the focus should be discussing trends and progress in performance. These sessions aren’t about airing grievances or dealing with tactical items; instead, they’re about long-term growth, feedback on contributions, and ideas for improving team processes and culture.
Then there are Tactical meetings, which are all about getting things done. These sessions focus on moving projects forward, executing plans, and delivering outcomes. They’re the meetings where action happens, decisions are made, blockers are removed, and tasks get checked off the list.
For those moments when you need to make a quick decision or drive immediate action, Action & Decisions meetings come into play. These are in-person or synchronous virtual meetings that expedite discussions and decisions. See my post on using the Six Thinking Hats technique to make good decisions fast. These meetings should be used sparingly to respect everyone’s productivity time.
Collaboration workshops are all about working together. Whether it’s a small group brainstorming session or a large-scale team hackathon, these meetings help your team practice and improve their collaboration skills. The more time you spend building together (read: less talk, more action), the better you get at creating something truly amazing together.
Don’t forget to celebrate your wins with Culture meetings. These showcases/demos gather the team to reflect on and celebrate completed projects and successes—fostering a sense of pride in your work and camaraderie.
Lastly, Focus Time is sacred. It’s the dedicated, uninterrupted time for team members to dive deep into their work and enter a creative flow state. Protect this time like it’s gold — because it is.
Bonus: Team Knowledge Sharing meetings (AKA brown bags, lunch-n-learns, etc.) are an opportunity to spread what you’ve learned with the team. Whether it’s fresh off the heels of a conference or online course, a new skill you picked up during a project, or how you keep your Slack organized—knowledge is worth sharing. These meetings are also great for honing presentation skills and ensuring the whole team grows stronger together.
Meeting Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts
“Meetings don’t have to be endless to be eternal.”
Punctuality is key.
How many times have you sat in a meeting waiting on someone who’s critical to the discussion? Being late not only wastes time but can also derail the flow of the meeting. With most meetings scheduled for 30 minutes, if participants are 5–10 minutes late, once the small talk is over, there is minimal time to discuss the important things. And if you run over time, that means the next meeting starts late and so on. Facilitators—start the meeting on time no matter what. Participants—send a message to the host that you’re running late and discretely join if you’re late.
End on time or schedule a follow-up.
If a meeting is productive, decisions will get made, and valuable discussions will unfold. But if more time is needed, it’s better to schedule a follow-up rather than running over.
Ensure all stakeholders can weigh in on a decision.
If someone can’t attend the meeting, make an effort to gather their input beforehand or follow up with them afterward. This way, every voice is heard, and the team can move forward with confidence.
You don’t always need to be on camera.
While seeing each other can enhance collaboration, it’s okay to turn off your camera when life happens — if your dog is needy, or the kids are in the background, or maybe you just don’t feel very good and would rather not be the shining star you always are, turn the camera off.
Be mindful of who really needs to be there.
Inviting unnecessary people just for the sake of it isn’t productive and can waste everyone’s time. Take notes or record the meeting to send afterwards as an FYI to those who need to be aware of the discussion.
No agenda? No attendance.
Imagine going to a restaurant without a menu. You’d feel lost, unsure of what to expect, and probably a little frustrated. That’s exactly what a meeting without an agenda feels like. It’s essential to know why you’re meeting in the first place and what you hope to accomplish.
Ask clarifying questions.
Questions are essential for ensuring everyone is on the same page and shows that you are listening and engaged. However, timing is everything. Ask your questions when they’re relevant to the discussion, not after the meeting has already wrapped up. This keeps the conversation flowing and avoids dragging out the meeting unnecessarily. If you’re facilitating the meeting, make sure to collect questions during or afterwards to leave no stone unturned.
Make space for others to speak.
No one enjoys a meeting where one or two people dominate the entire conversation. Give others the opportunity to contribute, listen actively, and look for the right moments to chime in with your thoughts.
Declare Device or No-Device meetings in advance.
In most team meetings, laptops are allowed for note-taking and collaboration, but for conference-style sessions like on-sites, it’s best to have no-device time to ensure full focus. If an emergency arises, participants should excuse themselves discreetly to handle it.
Treat scheduling as sacred.
We all know that sometimes rescheduling is unavoidable, but it can cause distractions and be disruptive to our teammates’ days. Where possible, aim to keep meetings at their original scheduled times. If a reschedule is unavoidable, try to do it well in advance (avoid changing meeting time the day of) and ensure that everyone in the meeting is still free during the new time.
Meeting Types in Action
Let’s put all of this into practice. Think carefully about the cadence, day of the week, and time of day for these to design an iron-clad meeting plan:
1–1 meetings are usually 30-minute to 1-hour weekly check-ins between a manager and team member to discuss individual performance and growth. These meetings are an opportunity to focus on personal development and address any concerns or goals.
Group Syncs happen once a week, focusing on culture and decision-making. These are the meetings where quick, impactful decisions are made, helping the team stay aligned and moving forward.
Twice a week, Team Huddles keep everyone updated on tactical progress and maintain a strong team culture. These short, focused meetings ensure everyone knows what’s happening and can address any immediate concerns.
Every month, Project Showcases give team members a platform to highlight their work. These meetings celebrate achievements, share knowledge, and inspire the team with what’s been accomplished.
Retrospectives are vital for reviewing and reflecting on recent releases. By examining what went well and what could be improved, these meetings help the team continuously evolve and improve.
Finally, set aside days for Innovation Days, where the team can brainstorm, problem-solve, and work on creative projects. These days are crucial for fostering innovation and keeping the team’s creative juices flowing.
In Conclusion
By designing your meetings with intention, you ensure they are productive, engaging, and meaningful. Your team will thank you, and you’ll see the results in both morale and output.
