I remember during the quarantine period (2020-2022) that most professionals were working from home, and there were plenty of funny X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram posts about it. One that stood out to me was: “Now I finally understand what my wife does for work – she just sits in meetings all day!”. Or another: “My husband used to say he had a busy day at work, but after spending the whole day at home with him, I realized he’s just in meetings all day!”.

These jokes highlighted a well-known reality: business professionals spend a significant portion of their workday in meetings. This issue was-and continues to be-so well recognized that even research from eight years ago (2017) documented how painful meetings can be. Of course, meetings are essential for business operations and collaboration, but they often drain employees’ energy, and most of us dread them.

On top of that, being the one responsible for running a meeting adds an extra layer of pressure. You need to ensure the meeting is productive, objectives are met, and all participants leave with a clear understanding of what’s expected of them. This makes leading a meeting a double responsibility—not just attending but also facilitating a meaningful discussion.

Effective team meetings matter

In this post, I’ll outline some basic principles for running effective meetings. But what exactly defines them? 

In my view, an effective meeting is one that:

1. Respects the well-being of the team. It doesn’t leave participants drained or frustrated.
2. Is productive. Clear objectives are met, and time is well spent.
3. Provides value. Everyone leaves having gained something, whether it’s clarity, direction, or actionable next steps.

So, let’s start with a simple question: What is a team meeting? It’s a gathering of professionals to discuss a situation, analyze a problem, or find a solution. Team meetings can take various forms, including informal team huddles, formal decision-making sessions, client presentations for new or ongoing projects, and cross-departmental briefings to align on key initiatives.

I think professionals dislike meetings for two main reasons:

1. The meeting was unnecessary because it could have been an email, a DM, or a Geekbot standup (Slack confirms it by saying, “A round-robin of what people are working on can be handled over email or a collaboration tool”) 
2. The meeting was poorly executed, leaving participants exhausted and confused.

When a meeting is truly effective, though, it can be a game-changer. It can clear obstacles for individuals and teams so smoothly that it feels like a perfectly orchestrated choreography. Participants exchange ideas, get clarifications, and provide feedback in real-time. Decisions are reached much faster, accelerating the next steps and saving days of back-and-forth emails. Stronger bonds between teams are also formed, as virtual or in-person interactions help build rapport. And paradoxically, the better the meeting, the fewer follow-up meetings are needed—ultimately saving time and costs.The key here is quality over quantity. 

However, successful meetings, like everything worthwhile, don’t just happen. 

Let’s see how to successfully execute them.

10 Steps for running a successful meeting

Below, I provide 10 actionable steps for running effective meetings, covering everything from planning to follow-up. You can adapt them to fit your workflows, whether you’re hosting a virtual or in-person meeting.

1. Define a Clear Objective

Ensure everyone knows why they are attending the meeting. A meeting can have more than one objective—for example: ‘Decide on the 2025 budget’, or ‘Evaluate vendor options for productivity software’, or ‘Review proposals for a new office location’

However, this is not the optimal way to run a meeting. Ideally, each meeting should have one clear objective to maintain focus and efficiency. If you must cover multiple objectives, structure the meeting carefully:

• Allocate dedicated time slots for each topic and ensure clear transition between discussions.
• Set strict time limits to avoid one topic overshadowing the rest.

If you have too many objectives and need to narrow them down to one or two, a good practice is to run a quick poll and let the team vote on the most critical topic. This not only helps prioritize the discussion but also increases participant engagement.

2. Create a detailed agenda

A well-structured agenda is the backbone of any meeting. Along with meeting notes, it is one of the two most essential tools for a successful discussion.

Make sure to create a clear and concise agenda outlining the topics to be covered, and share it with all participants in advance. Prioritizing key discussion points ensures that the most important topics receive the time they deserve, preventing the meeting from running out of time before addressing critical issues. Framing the agenda items as questions allows participants to approach them as challenges rather than a laundry list of topics.

In case you require input from the team on what items need to be discussed (e.g. roundtable on how things are evolving) try running a Geekbot meeting agenda template, triggering automatically 24 hours before the meeting. 

Ask only two questions: “What items should we discuss in the upcoming meeting?” and “Who should attend?”. This way, all agenda items & participant list will be broadcasted as a Geekbot generated report in a Slack or MS Teams channel, allowing participants to review them before and during the meeting.

Lastly, estimate how much time will be spent on each section. This helps track the meeting’s progress and prevents discussions from going off course.

3. Curate the right Guest List

We often feel tempted to invite everyone remotely connected to the decision-making process in the name of inclusivity and transparency. An Atlassian survey found that ‘78% of people say they’re expected to attend so many meetings, it’s hard to get their work done’. 

It’s essential to curate the guest list carefully to ensure an efficient meeting.

• Prioritize “must-attend” participants—those whose input is crucial for the discussion and decision-making.
• Identify “good-to-attend” participants—those who may benefit from the conversation but are not essential for decision-making. These individuals can be kept informed before and after the meeting through summary updates rather than attending in real-time.
• Use the “optional” tag—For attendees who might find value in joining but aren’t critical to the discussion, mark them as optional in the meeting invite, allowing them to decide whether to attend.

Being mindful of who truly needs to be in the room (or on the call) helps streamline discussions, reduce unnecessary back-and-forth, and keep the meeting focused.

4. Choose the ideal format and location

If you’re working remotely with your team, your only option is to run the meeting online—unless you have the budget to bring everyone together in person, in which case it would be a workshop week or an offsite (which won’t be covered in this post).

However, if you do have the flexibility to choose between a remote or in-person meeting, here are the key formats to consider:

• All In-Person – Ideal for brainstorming, sensitive discussions, or team bonding where face-to-face interaction is valuable.
• All Remote – Best for sharing progress, analyzing a topic, reaching decisions, saving time and costs, or impromptu meetings.
• Hybrid – A mix of in-person and remote attendees. This requires proper technical accommodations, ensuring that remote participants can hear clearly, see everyone, and be seen and heard themselves.

Choosing the right format helps optimize engagement, efficiency, and inclusivity based on the meeting’s purpose.

5. Send invitations and pre-meeting materials

As mentioned in the previous steps, ensuring all attendees are well-informed is crucial for a successful meeting. Beyond sharing the agenda, proactively send any relevant materials and clearly communicate expectations.

For example, include a note like:

“Please review the attached documents and come prepared with questions or ideas.”

The clearer and more precise you are about what is expected from each participant, the more productive the meeting will be.

Since most professionals have hectic schedules, it’s essential—and respectful—to send all materials at least 24 hours in advance. This gives attendees the time they need to prepare effectively and engage meaningfully in the discussion.

6. Set meeting ground rules

Establishing clear communication rules helps create a respectful and productive environment where everyone can contribute effectively. Consider setting guidelines such as:

• Arrive on time – Respect everyone’s schedule by starting and ending as planned.
• Camera preferences – Encourage participants to turn on their camera if they feel comfortable (for online meetings).
• Use a “parking lot” for off-topic discussions – Capture unrelated points for follow-up later without derailing the meeting.
• Raise your hand for questions – Ensures orderly participation, whether in person or online.
• Utilize the chat or comments section – A great way to submit questions without interrupting the flow (for virtual meetings).
• Keep phones on silent and away – Minimize distractions during in-person meetings.

Setting these ground rules upfront ensures smoother discussions, keeps the focus on the agenda, and fosters better engagement.

7. Encourage participation and engagement

Even the best-planned meeting falls flat if only one or two voices dominate the conversation. To keep engagement high and ensure everyone’s input is heard, try the following:

• Use a round-robin approach – Go around the group and have each person share their perspective or updates.
• Ask open-ended questions – For example, “How do you see this solution working in your department?” to spark thoughtful discussions.
• Leverage interactive tools – In virtual meetings, use polls or reaction features to gather quick feedback—especially useful for introverted participants who may not feel comfortable jumping in.

When people feel included and heard, they’re more invested in the discussion and more likely to take ownership of the next steps.

8. Manage time and keep on track

As mentioned earlier, modern employees have packed schedules, making their time extremely valuable. As the meeting coordinator, it’s your job to keep the discussion on track, ensuring that:

• Agenda items are covered in line with the meeting’s objectives.
• Everyone has had a chance to speak and share concerns.
• A clear conclusion is reached before the meeting ends.

To achieve this, you need to actively monitor the conversation and prevent it from veering off-topic. 

If you realize mid-meeting that you won’t be able to cover everything or won’t reach a decision anytime soon, it’s time to be strategic:

• Prioritize key discussion points – Decide which topics to set aside to ensure more pressing matters are addressed.
• Keep participants informed – Let them know how much time remains so they can adjust their input accordingly.

It’s also a best practice to allocate some Q&A time at the end—this allows participants to ask questions without disrupting the flow of the main discussion.

9. Document key takeaways

Now, let’s give well-deserved recognition to the queen of any meeting: meeting notes.

Personally, I am fond of this part because you take something as fluid as a discussion and turn it into tangible outcomes. Meeting notes capture the essence of a conversation between professionals and serve as the bridge to the next phase of the workflow.

Beyond that, meeting notes also:

• Reinforce accountability – They serve as a written reminder of the commitments made and who is responsible for what.
• Act as a historical record – Team members can reference them later to revisit decisions, track progress, or onboard new people into ongoing discussions.

A best practice is to use a consistent tool for meeting notes. This creates a habit in people’s daily workflows—making it second nature to check that tool whenever they need to:

• Review what action items they need to follow up on.
• Get context on what was discussed if they missed the meeting.

Geekbot offers a great solution for meeting notes by automatically posting meeting notes in a dedicated Slack channel, making them easily accessible to anyone who needs them. Plus, you can tag relevant team members to ensure follow-through.

10. Follow up with action items

A meeting might feel like a success, but until participants follow through on their action items, nothing of real value has been accomplished.

After distributing the meeting notes—whatever method you choose—it’s a good practice to check in with attendees a couple of days later to:

• Ensure they’ve added action items to their to-do lists.
• Address any questions or blockers that might be preventing progress.

If you’re using Geekbot to distribute meeting minutes in Slack, you can take it a step further by automating the follow-up—set a Slack reminder to check in with the assigned people. This keeps the process structured and effortless.

For recurring meetings, don’t forget to ask for feedback on how future sessions can be improved. A simple check-in can make meetings more effective over time and ensure they stay valuable to the team..

Common mistakes to avoid

Let’s use this space to consolidate the key mistakes to avoid that were mentioned in the paragraphs above.

1. Lack of preparation – A missing goal, unclear agenda, incomplete documents, or vague expectations lead to scattered discussions and disoriented participants, ultimately making the meeting ineffective. 
2. Inviting too many people – While being inclusive is important, a leaner guest list ensures more focused discussions. Invite only those who are essential to the decision-making process.
3. Ignoring remote attendees – In hybrid meetings, it’s easy to engage with people in the room while forgetting those joining remotely. Check in frequently, ensure they can hear clearly, and actively invite their input to avoid unintentional exclusion.
4. Mismanaging time – Keep the discussion aligned with the agenda and objectives set at the beginning. Track time closely and summarize key takeaways, decisions, and action items clearly in your meeting minutes.

By avoiding these pitfalls, you’ll keep meetings efficient, engaging, and goal-oriented. 

Ready to run effective meetings?

Always question the necessity of scheduling a meeting. According to the Harvard Business Review article “Dear Manager, You’re Holding Too Many Meetings” reducing 60% of meetings led to a 55% increase in cooperation—a clear sign that fewer, more intentional meetings can actually improve teamwork.

However, when executed properly, a successful team meeting can spark innovation, resolve bottlenecks, and galvanize your entire team toward shared goals. By following the 10 steps above—from setting a clear objective to meticulous follow-up—you’ll transform your meetings from dreaded calendar events into purposeful sessions that save time, boost morale, and drive tangible results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How long should a typical team meeting last?

Ideally, limit general check-in or status meetings to 30 minutes and aim for no more than 60 minutes for more complex discussions. An interesting table on suggested meeting duration is provided in Slack’s ‘How To Run Effective Virtual and In-Person Meetings‘ post.

2. Is it better to hold meetings virtually or in-person?

It depends on your objectives and team structure. Virtual meetings are convenient and cost-effective, especially for distributed teams. In-person gatherings are beneficial for team-building, conflict resolution, or sensitive topics. A hybrid model can work if managed carefully and everyone has the right tools.

3. How can I keep remote participants engaged?

• Use interactive features (polls, breakout rooms, chat).
• Call on individuals by name to elicit input.
• Set clear expectations around webcam usage, background noise, and multi-tasking.
• Provide equal access to meeting materials, agendas, and post-meeting notes in a shared digital space.